The Last Duchess
by Bridgy
Summary: Pass the borders of Ivalice lies a kingdom under siege. Refugees are pouring in, but there is one among them whom is different; her name is Willow. Fran and Balthier take her under their wings while she harbors a secret so dangerous it could get everyone killed. But when it comes time to help save Ivalice from a terrible foe, she is faced with the hardest decision of her life.
1. Chapter 1 Pilot

In the year 712 of Ivalice, Balthier and Fran had taken it upon themselves to venture beyond the borders of their Country. They had scrapped most of the temples and caves and even abandoned castles in search of treasures, and now they were looking for bigger game. There had been talk about Hume refugees coming in from this way and they wanted to check it out.  
They were thirty miles south of the Paramina Rift, the Still Shrine of Miriam, and all the rest of the Kerwon continent. The mountains finally faded from view and tall forest trees took over. Not far out was a stone wall and it stretched for miles in both directions.  
"The mist…it is gone." Said Fran, "But look, past the trees," She pointed at the stone wall that seemed to have been taken over by vegetation and falling apart. "We should set her down and take a closer look, yes?" By 'she' Fran meant the Strahl.  
"Yes, we should," agreed Balthier. "Though, it may prove difficult to find a place to land." He said that bit more to himself than to Fran.  
There was a small patch of land, an open field, not far from the wall and the Strahl was landed there without a problem.  
"We don't know what's out there, so let's prepare ourselves." Balthier loaded his gun and made sure to bring extra bullets. Fran did the same with her bow and they walked off the Strahl with cautious minds.  
There was a slight wind, making it feel colder than what it was. The air was crisp with the mist gone and it smelt of dead flowers, wood and pine trees. Together the duo walked through the field and into the forest where they made their way to the stone wall.  
There was nothing there to harm them; only small creatures like rabbits, deer, and a few foxes that ran by them. It would seem that there was no need for any kind of weapon, but one could never be fully sure, and thus, they continued on.  
It appeared, at first, that there was naught of use for them here until the stone wall presented them with more than just cold pebbles and vines intertwined with dead leaves and flowers. There was a door, or rather, a beautiful rustic looking gate sat vainly by some shrubbery. The ground beneath it looked as though it had been tampered with as if someone had tried to open the gate and shook it back and forth and then tried digging but gave up before they even got half way.  
Fran pushed the gate but it was locked, so she whispered an incantation under her breath and a faint purple light swirled around the gate.  
A soft click sounded and the gate creaked open by a few inches. Balthier and Fran made their way through but found it to be the same as the other side, only more of it.  
"Fran, do you sense anything?" Balthier asked.

For a moment Fran did not respond. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "I sense a feeble heartbeat." She said sadly. Her eyes looked a few feet yonder from where they were standing and followed her instincts.  
Balthier trailed close behind, taking notice of any dangers lurking about, but there was nothing dangerous to what, or whom, they found: A frail girl sat slumped over next to a tree. Her long, light chocolate brown hair fell forward covering most of her face. Her shoes had holes in them and the long dark green coat that she wore was worn with stains of blood and dirt and other misfortunes.  
"Gods," Balthier breathed, resting his gun easy at his side.  
Fran knelt down beside the poor child and reached for her cold, pale hand. "She is with us still. Her heartbeat is there, though it falters by the minute. If we leave her here she will surely die."  
Balthier sighed. "I guess we have no choice then," he said as he put his gun away. "I'll carry her back."  
Then we must hurry." Fran stood up and took out her bow. "I will have your back if anything happens."  
Balthier smirked. "Naturally," he said. "Just give me a moment, will you? I don't want to hurt picking her up carelessly."  
The pair walked back as quickly as they could and boarded the Strahl safely. Balthier set the girl down on a single bed and got to work saving her life. He removed her coat but taking a knife to it and ripping it off of her.

The unfortunate girl had been wounded badly on her side and still showing signs of bleeding out. She moaned in pain but kept still, her body too weak to even move the slightest.  
Balthier kept his hands steady as he ripped off her coat and the once pretty white dress that she wore and was met by a white silk corset. What caught him off guard were the gold and silver coins and jewels sewn into the corset. Some of it had come off, leaving part of the girl's body vulnerable and in one of those spots she had been attacked, hence the bleeding wound.  
Something else he thought interesting was a sheathed dagger that sat snug in a pocket on the inside of her coat. The hilt had been decorated in red, blue, green and purple jewels. One jewel was missing and Balthier guessed that the dagger had stopped a bullet from penetrating, or heavy blow from a random object. In any case, the girl was extremely lucky to be alive.  
"This looks like a job for you, Fran. I'll get the Strahl flying if you can take over from here." And he took the dagger for safe keeping until the girl woke up.  
Fran said nothing as Balthier stood up and walked away and then knelt beside the girl and placed her hands over her wound, whispering another spell.  
A warm, white light seeped from Fran's hands and on to the girl, healing her. Within a few minutes, the bleeding stopped and the young girl was out of harm's way.  
At last, she woke up and looked over at Fran; her blue-green eyes glazed over and weary.  
"Am I dead?" she asked weak and tired. Her voice was deep and scratchy, but Fran could tell that underneath all that her voice was soft and sweet.  
Fran shook her head and told her no.  
The girl paused for a moment and then asked, "Are you an angel?"  
This time Fran smiled slightly and answered, "No."  
And like that, the girl fell back to sleep.

* * *

Resting in the Valendia continent, the northeast of Ivalice, was the Arcadian empire. Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor was having a friendly sword match against his protector, Gabranth, secretly known as Basch among close friends; his real name.  
This was the longest match they had had yet and Larsa was sweating. His white tunic was sopping wet and it clung to his handsome chest. His breaths had grown deep as he struggled to keep up with Basch.  
"Have you had enough?" said Basch.  
Larsa laughed and swung his sword in a graceful manner. "Hah! You think this match over so easily?"  
Basch was quick to block Larsa's attack and grinned. "No, not at all,"  
Their match was interrupted by a member of the consul, an ever faithful observer who served Larsa's father before him. "Excuse me, your Excellency, but the meeting is in an hour."  
Larsa sheathed his sword. "Yes, I have not forgotten."  
The faithful consul member bowed deeply. "Of course, your Excellency," and he quickly excused himself.  
"That sums up our match for today," Basch said, sheathing his sword as well and wiping sweat from his forehead.  
Larsa nodded at this. "Until tomorrow then, if there is time for it," Sweat dripped from his lashes and into his eyes, stinging him. He could smell his body odor and grimaced. He left without saying another word and a bath was readied for him. He sat there in his steaming bath full of scents of lavender and rose petals and let his body soak up the rich nutrients that were placed inside.  
For a moment it was quiet for the young emperor. There was no one demanding attention or calling for his help and requesting that he read and sign endless piles of papers. But alas, it came time for him to excuse himself of his lavish bath and return to his chambers where a set of clothes had been set out for him.  
He wiped his body dry with a towel and once he was done he left it to hang over a chair for when the servant next came in to clean. He put on his clothes and neatly combed his hair. His hair was not as long as it had been when he was young but it still reached a few inches past his ears and laid flat on his neck with the exception of a few strands whipping out at the ends.

The walk to the consul room was shorter than Larsa would have liked. Basch walked just a few paces behind as always; he too had washed up and dressed up in his full Judge armor.  
When Larsa opened the door he found the rest of the consul members waiting for him, as they normally did, and Larsa took his usual spot: in the middle of all of them.  
"The young Emperor turns eighteen next month." started one of the members as if Larsa wasn't present. "We not only need to plan a grand celebration in honor of his 'coming of age', but we also have to think about an heir to the Throne."  
This was a subject Larsa had been mentally preparing himself for years now. He knew he would have to marry whether it be out of love or by politics. Either way, he was prepared for whatever fate was waiting for him. A small part of him felt it would be not for love and the other way around, but he was ready to serve his country and people the best that he could even if it meant making sacrifices.  
"What of the young eligible ladies of the noble houses here in Ivalice? Surely there is plenty to choose from?" suggested one consul member. "We should invite all of them to the celebration and Lord Larsa can have his pick."  
Larsa struggled not to roll his eyes at the mere mention of 'having his pick', as if these girls were cattle and he was their master. He didn't want to think of them that way, and he never would.  
Finally, he sighed, not being able to take the back and forth bickering. "My late father, Gramis, did not marry until his mid-twenties."  
The men stopped, a little shocked to have heard this come out of the Young Emperor's mouth. "What are you saying?" questioned one of the younger men.  
If Larsa wasn't already sitting up straight in his seat he was now, and he said to the men, "I'm still young, and so are many of the noble women you speak of. There is time for all of that. I will not tear a young maiden from her family and demand such a responsibility on her shoulders." Larsa knew the gains and losses of being Emperor, and he would not want to place that burden on anyone's shoulders, least of all a young girl who was hardly a woman.  
"What of the older noble women?" proposed the oldest man in the room.  
And then another counseled, "Invite the noble women, young and old, and see what happens. Maybe you will grow fond of one, or perhaps a moment of 'love at first sight' will ensue."  
Larsa looked up at Basch. Even though he could not see his face Larsa knew the look he was giving him and looked back at the others. "Fine, invite the nobles, set up the celebration." He opened up a folded and slid a single piece of paper out in front of him. "I've taken it upon myself to add a bit to it. Take it and look it over." He paused for a moment. "Now, let us talk about the refugees."  
And thus the meeting continued with flawless aptitude and care of the young Emperor.

* * *

Three weeks had passed since Fran and Balthier found their new little companion. Willow was her name and she was eighteen years of age. She didn't tell them much about herself other than her family was killed by a man who called himself Valan Linshk. He was a terrifying brute who had many people killed who didn't side with him.  
They had just made their way into Rabanastre when Balthier and Fran asked how it came to be that this man came in to power Willow only shrugged and said, "He didn't like the country being ruled by Royalty and thought it best that the land be governed by a group of people of many backgrounds, ethnicities, and religion. But the way he went about it was evil and enticing; enticing to those who were swayed by his choice of words and twisted views. They were almost as bad as him. "My family and I were making our way over when we were attacked. I got separated from family and got lost in the woods."  
"But you didn't get out totally unscathed, did you?" Balthier commented.  
Willow said nothing.  
Suddenly, a chipper female voice sounded out through the crowd and the trio lifted their heads in the general direction.  
It was Penelo and she was running with Vaan to greet them.  
"It's so great to see you guys again. How are you doing?" she asked them.  
"We are well, thank you." Said Fran, and then she eyed a curious little object around Penelo's finger. "It seems we have a lot to catch up on." She pointed at the ring.  
Penelo blushed and held her left hand close to her chest and spun the ring around her finger. "Thank you, and yes, we do." She then looked in Willow's direction, but before she could say anything Vaan cut in.  
"Who is she?" he asked.  
Balthier said, "This is Willow. She's a refugee we found passed the borders of Ivalice."  
A look of shock spread across bother Vaan and Penelo's faces.  
"No way! Did you go past the border? What was it like?" Vaan asked.  
Penelo rolled her eyes. "Don't go getting ideas, Vaan. There's a reason we haven't gone yet. Look at all the refugees that have almost died trying to make it over here. It's dangerous." She looked at Willow and gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" Her voice trailed off.  
Willow shook her head. "It's alright."  
Penelo cleared her throat. "Let's hurry and go to the bar. I'm super hungry. We can talk more there."  
Willow followed close behind, making sure that Fran and Balthier were always in her line of vision. She didn't feel like getting lost in such a confusing looking city. Well, at least it was confusing to her, at least right now. Although it was hard to say how long she would stay here. Balthier and Fran never stayed in one place for more than a couple of days.

They sat there in the bar on the top floor in the back, away from others the way they preferred it. Whilst waiting for their food Penelo asked more about Willow: what was her favorite color, how old she was, what she liked to eat, drink, or what she liked to do for fun? All were simple questions to answer until she asked if she would be staying with Fran and Balthier for very long.  
"There is a place especially for the refugees here in Rabanastre. They'll treat you well and help you get back on your feet."  
"And maybe find someone in your family," Vaan said.  
The pleasant smile that rested on Willow's face now faded. "They were killed." She said solemnly. "By a man named Valan Linshk." She told Penelo and Vaan the same thing she told Fran and Balthier, only a shorter version of it.  
"I'm sorry to hear about your family," Penelo said. "I lost mine, too, when I was around your age a few years back. So did Vaan."  
Vaan nodded to this. "So does that mean you'll stick with Balthier and Fran then?"  
Willow thought back to her first week with Fran and Balthier.  
Balthier was sitting in a chair across from Willow. He was holding both her dagger and glorified corset. "What is a refugee like you running around with items like these?"  
Willow cupped her hands and rested them on her lap while she tapped her foot nervously. "I took it from someone who didn't need it."  
Balthier raised a brow. "Oh? Like who?"  
Willow answered him quickly. "Some rich person," She then held out her hand. "Can I have the dagger back, please?"  
Balthier scanned the dagger. "Why? I thought you stole it off some rich person?"  
"It's protected me through a lot. I would feel better with it on my person." She told him as a matter of fact.  
"'On my person' she says." Balthier mimicked.  
Willow didn't think it very funny. And then Fran came back on Strahl with items like potions and a clean cloth and other healing materials.  
"Stop giving the girl such a hard time," Fran said.\  
Balthier protested a bit. "I'm only trying to figure out who she is."  
"I did tell you. My name is Willow." She said quickly and then was stopped short from what else she wanted to say when Fran tossed her a brown bag. Willow opened it and found a fresh pair of clothes and new boots.  
"I hope the boots fit. Your others were beyond repair." Fran took a seat on the armrest of the chair Balthier was sitting at. "Do you like what I picked out for you? I'm sure they will fit you well. It's better than running around in ripped clothes, yes?"  
Willow looked over each set of clothing. There was a white frilly strapless dress that stopped right above the knees, and then there was a dark blue velvet coat shaped like a cardigan only instead of stopping at her waist it reached further down and stopped a few inches above the length of the main dress. In proper sunlight, their coat shined a dark green. The front of it had strings that tied right below the chest, keeping her breasts looking cute and perky, and the gem of her necklace stayed well hidden under her dress, leaving only the silver chain visible. Next, she looked at a pair of black tights covered any scares she might have had while running from the people who sought to kill her. She had her long hair in a braid but hid it underneath the matching beret cap Fran had bought her.  
"You can keep the corset and the jewels and coins on it. Sell them, keep them, I don't care, but I want that dagger back…please."

Without another word, Fran swiped the dragger from Balthier's hands and handed it to Willow. "If you are going to be staying with us until you decide to go, you'll need that to protect you if neither of us is there to do so." She looked back and Balthier for a second and then headed to the front of the Strahl.  
Fran's voice cut into Willow's thinking as she said, "Willow will be staying with us for a while until she decides to leave or if she decides." And no more was said on the topic.  
"So, Larsa's birthday is in a week. He's sent us an invitation for all of us to come. Will you three be there? Ashe is supposedly coming too." Penelo said.  
Balthier and Fran looked at each other and grinned.  
"Yeah, we'll pay him a visit," Balthier said.


	2. The Ceremony

**AN: So I don't know what went wrong with the first chapter...but some how the first chapter was the first chapter to another one of my stories. I am so sorry for the confusion. I have no idea how that even happened! Again, I am so sorry! I fixed it. It SHOULD be fixed.**

The early morning bells chimed throughout the Archadian Empire. Larsa Stirred in his sleep, dreading the sound. His Majesty reluctantly opened his eyes and flipped over on to his back and stared at the beautifully painted ceiling. Soon after a knock sounded on the door. Larsa knew by the sound that it was none other than Basch.  
"You may enter." Larsa finally said after a moment of silence. He wished he had more time to himself.  
Basch stood at attention a few feet from the bed. "Your Excellence,"  
Larsa sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Good morning, Judge Gabranth."  
"Today is a very important day." As Basch said this a group of servant men walked into the room.  
The normal routine for Larsa in the morning was to be awakened by the ghastly bells, followed by Basch and then the male servants. They readied a hot bath and clothes for him along with some accessories. Larsa allowed himself to be pampered, although he much rather had done all this himself. Even if it was his birthday.

For the first half hour of his morning, Larsa soaked in his bath. It was spacious enough to fit four other people, and to his side was a bowl of fruit. Even as he bathed there was always a servant there to do his bidding, not that he really needed it. But still, that was their job.  
When Larsa finished his bath he took the towel from the servant and dried off. After that, he retreated back to his room where Basch was waiting. From there Larsa tossed his towel to the side and left himself exposed, but not for very long as he soon got dressed.  
Black pants, white bell-sleeved shirt and a black vest with gold thread lining the edges; black leather boots stopping right below his knees and white gloves. He was nearly ready.  
His servants dried his hair with a clean towel and then brushed it for him, bring part of it to one side. Lastly came the jewels. Larsa was adorned with rings and a necklace with the Solidor crest attached to it. But there was something missing though. A crown, but that wouldn't be placed upon his pretty head until it came time for the ceremony. Another jewel would be added to the crown; another year ruling an empire.

By this time it was nearly nine o'clock. The ceremony would start at ten.  
Larsa left his room in haste with Basch following close behind. The morning sky was shining in through the windows, specks of dust danced in the sunlight gracefully and then stirred as Larsa walked through. He could hear the busy crowd from all the way up in his palace. Everyone was excited about today, all except Larsa, of course. If there was one gift he truly wanted for his birthday, it was to be left alone and not bothered for a whole day. Despite all the formalities, today would bring, there was one good thing Larsa was looking forward to and that was seeing his sky pirate friends. A year had come and gone since he last saw them...come to think of it, it was his last birthday that they all saw one another.

At last, a pair of doors were opened for the young emperor and stood his councilmen. The room wasn't very big but it didn't need to be because the room that laid just beyond the second pair of doors was the throne room. Larsa stared at the front doors while his councilmen chatted away, telling him to properly carry himself, how to walk, how to sit down and what to say. Most of what they were saying was muted out by Larsa's own thoughts. How many times had he done this already? He didn't need to be told again. Still, he held his tongue and bided his time.

The door finally opened Larsa was met by a long aisle. On each side stood hundreds of city folk and they cheered as the music started to play. There were even some from other Empires. And from the side view, Larsa noticed Ashe sitting atop a balcony with guards beside her. He wanted to look up at and smile at her, let her know that he appreciated and acknowledged her being here. He wanted to scan the area for his other friends, but he dared not turn his head an inch and stared straight ahead. When he reached his throne he sat down with ease and let one of the councilmen place the white gold crown upon his head. As he suspected another jewel was added. Larsa smiled lovingly at his people, finally being given the chance to wave. As the music and the cheering died away Larsa stood to give his speech. "Archadia—no, Ivalice. I am honored that you have all graced me with your presence on this special day." But what he really wanted to say was, Where are my friends? I miss them and I am lonely. Instead, he continued on by telling the people all the while scanning for his sky pirate friends. "I am truly not alone today. As you all know this year in my life marks a new journey and that journey starts by growing my empire." Again, Larsa wanted to say, I am forced to find a wife, whether it be out of love or by politics. I have to perform my "duty" even if I am not ready. Even if I am not happy. "For you, Ivalice, I will do anything." And he bowed to the people. Larsa glanced at Basch. Even with the helmet on he could tell what look Basch was giving him, and it wasn't a happy one.

When the ceremony was over, only a small number of people were given access to the palace, and even then certain places were blocked off...for safety reasons. Most everyone was gathered into one area, banquette hall where there were enormous piles of food. The place was made up by a number of noble families, smaller empires and servants. Every so often a young bachelorette with her noble family would make themselves known to Larsa, introducing themselves and available "contestants" for being his Empress.  
Once Larsa had his fill of food he walked over to Ashe where she was accompanied by a few female servants. "Ah, Lady Ashe—I mean, Queen Ashe. How are you?"  
Ashe smiled fondly at him. "I am very well, your Highness. Thank you. I can't imagine you would be any different, considering this special day."  
Larsa smiled back, but of course, he knew that Ashe knew how he truly felt and only said what she did because she wanted him to be more at ease. "Indeed," he answered her.

Suddenly, a pair of hands came up from behind Larsa and covered his eyes. "Guess who?" said the sweet voice.  
Larsa grinned and removed the hands from his eyes. He turned to see Penelo. "I know your voice anywhere...Penelo."  
Penelo smiled. "Hey now, you're supposed to guess first before turning around." She teased.  
It was at that moment that Larsa Vaan. "Vaan, thank you both for coming. I've missed you all. How do you fair?" He held out his hand but Vaan only grinned and pulled him in for a hug.  
"Don't think you're getting away with a simple handshake. It's been far too long!" Vaan laughed.  
"Right," Larsa straightened his clothes once the surprise hug was over with. He was glad to see that Vaan and Penelo were still the same.  
"Well looky here." Said a devious voice. Not far away a handsome, tanned skinned fellow with his Viera mate strode into the banquette hall. "You started the party without us."  
"Balthier, I'm very glad you could make it." Larsa then looked to his friends right. "And Fran, it is good to see you too."  
Fran gave him a gracious bow. "Your Highness."

It would seem, though, that not everyone was acquainted.  
Larsa noticed another, smaller figure standing a bit behind Balthier. She appeared to be shy and unsure where to rest her eyes. Larsa took a step towards her to get a better look. "Pray tell me who you are. Any name will do." He said politely.  
The girl lifted the beret a bit that shield the view of her eyes. The mix of blue and green brought Larsa at a loss for words. "Willow." She answered him and gave him a perfect curtsy.  
Larsa smiled, impressed by her wonderful curtsy. "Balthier, Fran, where did you find this gem?"  
Balthier and Fran glanced at one another. Finally, Balthier spoke up. "I'm glad you asked because that is a very interesting and long story. Perhaps another time, your Majesty?"  
Larsa raised a brow but his friendly smiled stayed. "Now I'm very curious. You must tell me. Or—no, perhaps I shall ask Willow myself." Willow lifted her head more, her face turning the faintest shade of pink.  
"Let's not fret too much about it. We have time." Said Ashe. "Let us talk about other things if Willow does not feel comfortable."

Time, thought Larsa. It wasn't much he had of.  
As their lovely conversation continued about days that had come and gone, they were interrupted by two of Larsa's councilmen and pulled away. He hardly had time to properly say goodbye before he was whisked away. Ashe was, too, soon after.  
And as the councilmen spoke with Larsa on important matters such as finding the right future for Archadia and meeting more beautiful young women, he found himself peeking over at his friends from time to time. At first, he stole glances at Penelo, and then he caught himself looking at Willow. She was cute. Her clothes were pretty yet simple and she didn't where any makeup...she didn't have to. To Larsa, Willow had natural beauty.  
Almost right away he noticed the way she carried herself, stood, spoke politely and ate her food. It was almost like the manners of a noblewoman. Was she a noblewoman? If that was the case did she run away? Is that what Balthier meant? Larsa wanted to know now more than ever, but the gentlemanly side of him knew better than to pry into her personal life. Perhaps in time, he would know.

That night, while the rest of the noble houses left, Vaan, Penelo, Fran, Balthier, and Willow stayed the night in the guest quarters. Unfortunately for Ashe, she had to return to Dalmasca. That was to be expected though and everyone was sad to see her go for they knew not when they would see her next.  
It was getting late though and Larsa was heading back to his chambers after another meeting with the council (it was always the council). He stopped suddenly and raised a hand to signal Basch to stop as well. "You may retire for the night. I no longer am in need of your assistance."  
Basch bowed. "Goodnight, your Majesty."  
Larsa nodded to him. "Goodnight, Gabranth."

Silence. It was what Larsa was waiting for all night. And then, someone came from around the corner. It was Willow and she looked very confused.  
"Are you lost?" Larsa asked, walking up to her.  
She was dressed in her nightgown; the sleeves were fluffy and bottom flowed gracefully. She also wore a dark red and blue velvet robe, its sleeves rolled up and pinned to allow more freedom with moving around. And her stocking and slippers were white. But what surprised Larsa the most aside from the ravishing nightwear that she more than likely received from the servants, was her hair. It reached nearly to her bottom and it ran down her back and over he shoulders in thick, wavy, curls. "Are you lost?" Larsa reiterated.  
Willow nodded. "I was looking for a servant. I'm thirsty and in dire need of some water."  
Larsa smiled warmly. "I can take you."  
Willow's face flushed red. "N-no. That's okay. I'll just go back to my room."  
Larsa shook his head ever so slightly. "Nonsense. Please, follow me." He guessed that if there wasn't any silence then that was okay. As long as the halls were filled with a sweet and foreign voice, only then he did not mind.

"Here we are." Larsa opened the rickety door to the kitchen and found it empty. Most everyone was in bed by now. He led Willow over to a pitcher of water and poured her a glass. "For you, my gem."  
Willow took the glass. "Thank you, your Majesty. And please, call me Willow." She gulped the water.  
This time Larsa turned a light shade of red as he nearly forgot his manners. He felt so comfortable around Willow that formalities slipped away from his mind for a moment. "Forgive me. I give all my friends nicknames." Of course, that was a small lie—no, a white lie. He saw no harm in doing it just this once.  
"Oh, I see. What are some of their names?" Willow was curious to know, but when she saw that Larsa was scrambling around inside his head trying to find an answer, she quickly said, "Maybe you can tell me later?"  
Larsa nodded. "Of course." And then he saw her empty glass. "Care for more?"  
Willow nodded and was about to hand Larsa her glass but pulled it back. "I can pour it myself." She told him, but of course she didn't mean this to be rude, she just didn't want the Emperor of Archadia to be tending to her needs. She felt it wasn't right.  
"Please, allow me." Larsa insisted and poured her another glass.

With a few more gulps Willow finished. "I'm satisfied." She told him. "Will you escort me back? I think I may lose my way again." She admitted.  
Larsa had no problems with this and had her back at the door to her room in no time. "I hope that you will sleep well."  
Willow curtsied again. "Thank you, your Majesty. Good night."  
"Goodnight. And goodbye. I say this only because I may not see you all before you leave tomorrow."  
Willow seemed a bit downhearted. She didn't think they would be leaving so soon. "Let us hope it does not turn out that way."  
Larsa bowed, reaching for her hand and kissed the back of it, gently grazing her soft skin with his lips. "How kind of you to say that." He said once he stood straight and tall again.  
The two said goodnight to each other once more before retreating to their rooms. Little did they suspect that an enemy would soon be at their heels.


	3. Trouble In Ivalice

_"Elsie! Stop eating the chocolate while wearing your gloves!" A tall, slender brunette with her hair done up in a braid circled around her head scolded the little girl. Her cream-colored dress was made of silk with pretty little beads sewn at the sleeves. Her small heeled shoes were made of silk, too, and her pale complexion complemented everything about her. But her eyes stood out the most, matching the little girl's whom she had just scolded. It indicated that these two were sisters._  
 _"But it tastes so good, and these gloves fit so tight that they are impossible to take off and put back on without getting mad about it." She argued. The little girl wore a similar dress, only her figure was not as abundant. The jewels around their necks and rings around their fingers was a clear sign of their wealth._  
 _"If you eat one more piece of chocolate you're going to turn into a big. And you don't want that now, do you?" The little girl shook her head quickly."Now let me see those gloves. I'll get you a new pair. And sit still."_  
 _"But Mira, we're going to be sitting for hours soon. Why start now while I still have some freedom?"_  
 _"Elise, do you want mamma to come in? I don't think rushing her is a good idea. Now be a good little girl and stay there."_

 _The little girl waited for what seemed like an eternity to her and she grumbled out of frustration when she saw her big sister return. "Took you long enough." She pouted._  
 _A painter had followed behind and he was carrying with him all the equipment he would need to paint the two sisters._  
 _"Where is mamma and Esfir and Karina? And Papa too?"_  
 _Mira handed her little sister the new pair of gloves. "We talked about this. Mamma and Papa together, then Esfir and Karina. We are the first done, so we go before them. When we have all had our turn we will be painted together." She helped her little sister get into a suitable position and let the painter get to work._

* * *

Willow woke up with the sides of her face wet from tears. She had been dreaming of some distant past; a past that no longer mattered.  
She sat up straight and dried her tears. There was no point in crying over people were no longer in her life. It was over for them; the pain; the suffering. Willow was still here; still breathing; still living. And for what? To pretend to be someone she was not?  
She decided to get up and get herself ready for the day by first splashing some water into her face from a silver bowl sitting on the vanity table. Once she was done cleaning the gunk from her eyes she dried her face with a white hand towel. Next, she rinsed out her mouth, making sure to scrub her tongue and get rid of her morning breath.  
For the first part of her life, her usual morning routine required more people than just herself. But that was all in the past now, of course.  
She sighed, not wanting to think about it and she stripped from her nightgown and put on her regular clothes. They weren't nearly as nice as what she used to wear but the colors were pretty and she was thankful to Fran for having it picked it all out for her.

Before she could leave the room she put her hair in a braid and twirled it around her head to keep it out of her face. Only then was she ready to leave the room and placed the beret on her head.  
The halls were not nearly as packed as the day before and she soon ran into Balthier. It looked like he had been waiting for her.  
"Ah, there she is." He was leaning against the stone wall with his arms crossed.  
"Where is Fran?" Willow asked.  
Balthier only motioned his head for Willow to look behind.  
"I see you two are talking about me." Fran rested one hand on her hip and flicked her beautiful silver-white hair behind her back.  
"Any good news?" Balthier asked standing straight and tall now.  
Fran shook her head. "Nay. The young Emperor seems to be dealing with other matters at the moment."  
Balthier cursed under his breath. "Well, no point worrying about it right now. C'mon you two, let's get going. All this royalty is making me a bit ill."  
Fran gave a subtle smile. "Yes, the fresh air will do us some good."

It would seem that saying goodbye to Larsa would not be happening. This made Willow a little upset. The young Emperor was kind to her, and she wanted to thank him again.  
"What about Penelo and Vaan?"  
Balthier stopped. "I imagine those two have already left. Sky pirates don't stay in one place for too long. Besides, people here don't really appreciate our kind. Now, let's go. Or, you could stay here and fend for yourself."  
Willow knew he wasn't being serious about leaving her behind, but it annoyed her nonetheless.

Larsa had just excused himself from the council room after dealing with moody members of the empire. He had picked out one candidate to be his empress and would shortly be having another meeting with her; to get to know one another.  
"Phoebe is her name, and she comes from a small noble family in Purvama. You may like her." Basch tried to sound hopeful for the young Emperor, but more importantly, his friend.  
Larsa made his way to the dining room to have some late breakfast. "What if she is not right for the Empire? To choose the wrong bride I will ultimately fail the empire." He said that more to himself than to Basch.  
"You will make the right choice, whatever it may be." Basch encouraged once more.  
Larsa took a seat at the table where a servant immediately placed a cup of coffee down in front of him. Usually he preferred tea, but lately, he had been growing rather fond to the bitter taste of the black liquid steaming before him. It was about as bland and dull as he life. One would think that being an Emperor, someone who has so much control, power, and authority that life would be sublime. But what good is that life is one is not to go on adventures or talk freely with friends?  
If Larsa was like any other young man he might have already taken a wife or lover. Larsa was jealous of his sky pirate friends. A small part of him wished that he was like them, and if so, then maybe he would have stood a chance with Penelo. Ah, yes, beautiful Penelo. There was a soft spot in his heart for her still, but he knew that she was with Vaan and always would be. Perhaps someone older than he would better fit the throne and rule alongside him? Someone too young might be a bad idea. Then again, Larsa never objected to the idea of being with an older woman...hence his thoughts and fantasies about Penelo. But he had long since thought of her in that way. She was married now and Larsa was a respectable young man.  
"Is the coffee not to your liking, my Lord?" The young servant woman asked.  
Larsa shook his head. "It's fine, thank you."  
A plate of fruit and cheese was placed on the table soon after and a roll of bread perfectly sliced was on a separate plate.

Larsa had barely touched his food yet he had downed three cups of coffee.  
"I think it be wise to eat more than consume any more coffee," Basch said.  
Larsa grinned a little and ate a few grapes and a slice of cheese. "Care to join me?"  
There was a slight pause before Basch answered the young Emperor. "I think that would not be wise. If any enemy were to attack—."  
"Yes," Larsa sighed. "Of course. I understand." Indeed, Larsa did understand. Taking his meals alone was all too familiar with him.  
Suddenly, a manservant came in and with him he carried a folded letter. He took a deep bow before presenting it to the Emperor and then kept his head bowed while walking backward as not to disrespect, and then he finally made his way out of the room.  
Larsa slid his cup of coffee forward and opened the letter. It read:

To Larsa, with respect,  
This is from your favorite sky pirates, Balthier and Fran.  
I'm sending Fran to deliver this message to you seeing as I am not well looked upon in this place. Well, neither is Fran, but she doesn't have a history with them as I do.  
I need to get straight to the point. We will be leaving soon and I doubt I will have the time nor the pleasure of seeing you before we take off.  
You remember Willow, correct? Of course, you do! Fran and I found her at the edge of Ivalice—actually, just beyond that. Fran and I explored the other country. That's where we found Willow. She was near death and carrying an enormous amount of jewels on her, and by that, I mean a corset covered with them. My best guess is that it acted like amour. If she is to be a mere peasant or commoner then why would she have jewels on her? Unless she stole them but I don't see her capable of doing that, but perhaps if she was desperate enough, or maybe she took it off a body. Besides that, she carries a dagger with jewels attached to it as well. She refuses to give it up, however, she was more than cooperative to give up the corset.  
There is more to our little friend than I think we may realize.  
I'm going to figure it out. I don't think she is like the other refugees.  
The point to my letter is this: there is going to be war in Ivalice again, I know it—Fran can feel it, too. Be prepared for anything and anyone. We don't know what kind of enemy's we will face from the neighboring country, but I have an inkling that Willow does, but she's too afraid to talk about it. She's running from something...someone.

That was the end of Balthier's letter and Larsa folded it back to the way he had received it.  
It was at that moment a second Archadian Judge made an appearance. It was someone new, Tobias was his name and only twenty years of age. The Empire had been running low on Judges the last couple of years; Tobias was a worthy candidate and proved very useful and loyal. Larsa had a feeling his youthfulness had something to do with it.  
"Yes, Tobias?" Larsa said as he stuffed Balthier's letter into his vest.  
"One of the noblemen who looks after the farmlands here has come with urgent news. I know it is not time for you to converse with such matters at this moment but he is being quite forceful." Tobias took a deep bow. "It is with my deepest apologies that I am unable to turn him away at this time. Something tells me his news is extremely important."  
Larsa noticed a bit of sweat drip off his face and stood up from the table. "It is alright. No need to apologize. I will see this man. Take me to him straight away."

Just as Larsa had instructed Tobias led the way while Larsa and Basch followed closely behind. And there waiting for them was the nobleman.  
Larsa took a seat on his throne. "Good morning, sir. What dire situation has you so vexed that it cannot wait?"  
The nobleman was middle-aged and fairly tall. He took off his hat out of respect and said to young Emperor: "Good morning, my Lord. I am most honored by your presence. Thank you for meeting with me. I come here on behalf of all of Archadia. You might have already been informed but I run one of the farmlands here. Perhaps you have heard word what has been happening to all of our crops?" Larsa gave the man one nod. "I think it is best if you saw what was happening with your own eyes."  
"You are asking me to physically come to the farm and see the crops?" The nobleman nodded eagerly. Larsa looked to Basch for a hint of guidance. "Very well. I will leave straight away. The sooner the better, yes?" Larsa did everything in his power to make sure his people felt safe and comfortable.  
The nobleman was happy to hear this. "Yes, thank you, my Lord! I shall hurry back now. My farm is on the south side." He bowed and quickly left.

The south side of Archadia was less populated and therefore easy for Larsa to get around. He wore his usual getup, a disguise whenever he left the palace. He was less noticeable that way.  
Basch was there, too, of course. There was no way he would leave the Emperor by himself when not in the palace. No matter how much Larsa would enjoy that stretch of freedom it simply could not be done.

There, a few yards away, was the nobleman. He was standing just before his crops.  
"Show me, what is the matter?" Larsa held out his hand for the nobleman to drop some kind of vegetable in it, and then he looked past the man and saw for himself. The field of crops was nearly destroyed.  
"Feel the soil for yourself." The nobleman said.  
Larsa crouched down and slipped off his white glove. He then grasped the dirt in his fist and crushed it. Hard. The soil was hard...not good for farming. Larsa stood back up and wiped his hand clean with a handkerchief before putting his glove back on. "How much of the soil is like this?"  
"More than half. We dig deep but the still the soil is no good. The land is running out of nutrients. If this keeps up we'll all starve. Hunting animals will only get us so far. They'll go extinct if we can't eat anything else. We need our crops to survive. There is simply too many of us."  
A sick feeling was settling deep inside Larsa's gut. Ashe had told him a year ago that the farmlands were getting rough in Dalmasca and Rabanastre and the people there were only just starting to panic. He wondered what it was like now.  
Was all of Ivalice changing into a wasteland? If this kept up they would soon find themselves living like those in Ogir Yensa Sandsea.  
"Thank you for bringing this to my direct attention," Larsa said to the nobleman. "I will take action on this." And he left quickly to return to the Palace.

It wasn't just Archadia or even Dalmasca that was having a hard time; it was all of Ivalice and if nothing was done soon all of its people would be done fore. Larsa knew in his gut that he would have to look elsewhere for help and if that meant seeking help from beyond the border, then so bit it. He would have to contact Ashe and get her thoughts on this. Speaking privately with Basch was important too. And maybe he could get a few ideas from his sky pirate friends as well, only that meant he would have to seek them out on his own.  
It was time to leave the Empire again and was guiltily looking forward to it. Last he sneaked out was when he met all of his friends, and he was more than eager to see them all again without the prying eyes of the councilmen or anyone else.

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	4. Unexpected Guests

_Four girls—sisters—knelled praying in the middle of a small room. They were side-by-side holding hands._  
 _The youngest of the four sisters peeled one eye open to look at her sister as they kept their eyes shut to pray. The little girl who was maybe eight years of age knew exactly what they were all praying for: their mother was a few rooms away giving birth to what they hoped would be a boy...a healthy baby boy._  
 _Suddenly, the door opened and it broke the sisters from their trance of praying._  
 _Esfir, the oldest stood up, her posture perfect and the look in her eyes serious._  
 _Karina, the second born, was slow to stand but eventually met with her sister. She looked hopeful._  
 _Mira, the third born stayed kneeling beside her youngest sister, Elise. She gripped her hand even tighter._  
 _And little Elise, too young to fully understand the expression on the servants face. All she knew was that she wasn't smiling._  
 _"Another stillborn son." The servant spoke softly. "I am truly sorry for your loss." And she closed the door to the room, leaving the four sisters to weep together._  
 _Karina, who was so soft-hearted wept first and fell to her knees. Esfir was there to hold her and cried with her._  
 _Elise looked to Mira who usually told jokes and wore a smile on her face at all times but was now expressionless as her grip loosened around her younger sisters tiny fingers. "Mira," Elise's little voice finally spoke up._  
 _Mira could barely hear her with the sounds of the others crying. A few hot tears found their way down her cheeks as she looked down at her little sister. "Our second little brother has moved on."_  
 _"You mean...he died," Elise said with question. "But we prayed so hard. Why?"_  
 _Mira only shook her head. "Hush now, Elise." And she put her arms around her._

* * *

"Willow, are you listening?" Balthier broke Willow from her train of thought.  
"Oh! Sorry." Willow said.  
Balthier leaned back in the seat of his Strahl. "Honestly, do you want to learn how to fly this girl?"  
Willow nodded quickly. "I do! I'm sorry for spacing out."  
Balthier raised a brow. "You've been doing that a lot lately. Care to share what's on your mind?"  
"No," Willow said flatly.  
"Then stop daydreaming and start paying attention." Balthier ran through all the controls again when it came to starting up the Strahl. He would then let her try to see if she could do it correctly.  
Willow pressed the buttons in order and flipped a few switches and the Strahl hummed beautifully. "Did I do it?"  
Balthier nodded. "See what you can do when you listen?"  
Willow said nothing, only rolled her eyes.  
"You sure have an attitude for such a vulnerable stray like yourself."  
Willow shot back at him. "I'm not vulnerable and I'm not a stray!"  
Balthier was enjoying seeing her get riled up.  
"You two at it again, I see." Fran came to join them. "Shall we fly her for real this time and go to the Eastersand?"  
Willow stood from where she was sitting and let Fran take her place. She then buckled herself into the seat right behind and watched the two get the Strahl ready for take off.

It took three hours for them to reach the Estersand. From there they stopped at a small holdout where merchants sold potions, weapons, and other items. By this time Willow was so hungry her stomach felt like it was going to eat itself.  
"I can hear your stomach all the way up here," Balthier said to her.  
Willow cocked her head to the side. "Are you calling me short? And yes, I am hungry, no thanks to you."  
Balthier grinned. "Feisty today, aren't you? Follow me. We'll get something."  
"I hear this place has very tender meat." Fran chimed in. "It is worth checking out."  
"Tender meat?" Willow's mouth started to water. "I'd like to try some."

Inside the massive tent were a few tables set up and a bar with workers serving drink and cook everyone's meal. The place was not as busy as Willow imagined it would be, but she was happy to see that it was only a small crowd.  
They chose the table far off from everyone else and a waitress came by with a single menu for them all to look at. "Can I start you off with our specialty drink?" The waitress offered.  
"What is it?"  
"Red wine with a drop of dragons blood and a pinch of homegrown spices mixed in."  
"Sound delicious. Fran, will you be having some?" Balthier looked to his companion.  
Fran nodded once. "Make that two for me." She then looked to Willow. "Care to try some, Willow?"  
Willow thought about it for a while and then said: "No, thank you. Water is fine, or milk if you have it."  
"We have goat milk. Is that alright?" Willow nodded to the waitress. "Alright. As you're thinking of what to eat I'll get your drinks started." And she left the trio be.

Willow sat quietly with her hands in her lap as she listened to Balthier and Fran talk about and forth. They kept mentioning a mine—Henne Mines was the place.  
"What's in the Henne Mines?" Willow asked curiously.  
This time Fran spoke up. "A dangerous place with monsters. It's not somewhere you want to be hanging out for fun."  
"Then why are you talking about going there?"  
Before Fran could respond the waitress came back with their drinks and took their order for the main dish, which they all ordered the tender meat slices. "Balthier and I have been there a few times. Every now and then people hide treasure there thinking it will be safe, but we are experienced when it comes to that place. We know all the ins and outs."  
"So, you're thinking of going there? When?"  
"Soon," Balthier answered her. "But not with you. You're not ready for something like that."  
"Then will I be staying on the Strahl?"  
Fran shook her head. "Nay. But you will be staying with someone."  
"Who?"  
Fran and Balthier looked at each other and then to Willow. "Vaan and Penelo. You remember them, don't you? They should still be hanging around Rabanastre still. We'll go see them later today."

After finishing their meal Balthier stopped at a board with posters and other papers with lists on them and took a look at one of them. "I see the pesky Rogue Tomatoes are at it again. I swear they are worse than rabbits breading." He peeled the paper off and gave it to Willow to look at.  
"Why are you giving me this?" she asked.  
"You're going to hunt that thing. Besides, it will bring in some coin."  
"What about the jewels I already gave you. Have you spent their worth already?"  
"No, but that's beside the point. You need to learn to fight. This is a perfect way to start."  
Willow looked to Fran for some support but all she said was: "Balthier has a point. You must grow stronger."  
Balthier pointed at the dagger resting at Willow's side. "It's time you put that thing to good use."

* * *

"I can't kill it!" Willow yelled at Balthier and Fran from a few yards away. She was running from the Rogue Tomato. "It's too cute!"  
Fran and Balthier looked at each as if both thinking: "What have we got ourselves into?"  
Willow fell and the dropped the dagger. The Rogue Tomato pounced on her leg and tried biting through her boot.  
"Aah! Get it off!" Willow shook her leg and finally, the Rogue Tomato let off long enough for Willow to grab her weapon again. And without a second thought, Willow swung her dagger and cut the Rogue Tomato in two. She squealed. "AH! I'm sorry tomato thing!" She quickly got up and stared down at its body. "I didn't mean to, I swear."  
Balthier started clapping. "Well done. you finally killed it." In the middle of his clapping, a group of Rogue Tomatoes came rushing in, sensing that one of their kind had been slain. He and Fran were ready to help Willow fight off the rest but stopped as Willow's dagger a pale blue.  
Willow looked down at her dagger. She wanted to drop it as she did not understand what was going on, but her fingers wouldn't let go. Willow raised her arm and slashed two Rogue Tomatoes at once. Their blood splattered this way and that way until Willow was standing in the midst of all of it. Her clothes were stained. Not even her face was safe from the mess.  
Inside her head, Willow could hear voices crying. So many voices telling her to run, to not look back. It didn't stop until of the Rogue Tomatoes were dead at her feet and finally, she dropped the dagger and fell to her knees in the sand. She was crying, wiping her tears away in vain. "That wasn't me," she said. "I didn't mean to do it."  
Fran knelt beside her. "What do you mean, little one?" She picked up the bloody dagger and held it at bay.  
"I didn't survive because I wanted to. I wish I had died with them, but they told me to run...they told me to run." She sobbed.  
"Who told you to run?" Balthier tried to sound as sincere as he could.  
Willow only shook her head. "I don't want to fight. I can't...please don't make me do it. I can't bring myself to hurt another living thing."

The trio made their way back to the Strahl and while Balthier flew them to Rabanastre Fran helped Willow into some clean clothes. "I'm not sure how these will fit. I wore this dress in my younger days. When we get to the city we'll buy you something more suitable."  
Willow put on the brown dress with white ruffles on the bottom; the white sleeves were long and puffy. She felt a little-naked seeing as her black tights had been ripped and tossed away. Her boots were still good though, but that didn't make up for the air she felt sweeping beneath her bottom now. She'd have to be careful not to bend over too far. Her breasts, however, fit a little snug, but it was nothing too uncomfortable. And she ditched her hat, no longer feeling the need to hair her long hair and she let it flow behind her back while kept in its braid.  
"We'll be there shortly," Fran told her. "Oh," Fran noticed a small scratch on Willow's arm. "Let me fix that." She held Willow's hand gently and hovered one hand above the scratch. A pretty green light sparkled and felt warm and the mark on Willow's arm faded.  
"How did you do that?" Willow asked.  
"Simple. I used magic."  
Willow seemed unsure with that answer. "Magic?"  
Fran nodded. "People use it every day. Is that strange?"  
Willow wasn't sure what to say. "Where I'm from, magic is banned. Only under certain circumstances is it allowed. Besides that, not a lot of people know how to use it. I certainly don't."  
"But you used magic to defeat the rest of the Rogue Tomatoes, did you not?" Fran now sat beside her.  
"I did!" Willow was shocked.  
"You don't remember?"  
"I blacked out for a second...is that bad?"  
Fran thought for a moment. "Well, that's not exactly good either." It was quiet between the two for a second before Fran asked: "Willow, where do you come from again?" Willow had told both her and Balthier when they first met, but she wanted to hear it from Willow again, in case her story had changed, she would know.  
"Zartoska," she said the word as if she had lost something dear. "I'm what you would call a Zarkian. It's very cold there; winters are long and harsh but every year the people who live there grow stronger because of it. But when the spring comes and the snow melts away, the country is even more beautiful and the crisp air that fills your lungs makes you feel whole again."  
"If it is such a great country why are its people leaving and coming here?"  
Now Willow was upset, but she hid it well. "I told you: Valan Linshk. He killed the Emperor and his family who ruled over more than two million souls...and now he has overrun the entire country with his rebels. People like me have fled here to safety. The future Valan wants is only meant for the strong...and I am not strong."  
"But you are," Fran lifted Willow's head to look at her. "Look how far you've come."  
Willow smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thank you, Fran."

Sure enough, they made it to Rabanastre is record time. Balthier went off on his own to go look for Penelo and Vaan while Fran and Willow headed off for some new clothes.  
The shops were dazzling. The last time they were in Rabanastre they didn't stop to look at much. Willow had never seen something so remarkable. There were magic crystals that could be fused together to make a more powerful crystal and then use it on an item or person to gain strength. Willow was fascinated. She was also learning so much as Fran took her from shop to shop showed her the many different kinds of armor that were used in battles or weapons that were meant for war.  
At last, they made their way to a clothing shop and Fran let Willow pick out her outfit. She chose a dark purple skirt that reached to her thighs. The top part acted as a corset and tied in the back with a black string. Next, she picked out a white long bell-sleeves white shirt that dropped low on the back and was tied together with white silk strings. The shirt tucked into the skirt making everything fit to Willow's frame nicely. Lastly, she picked out another pair of black tights and slipped her old boots back on.  
"This will do." Said Willow. "I hope it won't be too much."  
Fran looked to the shopkeeper and dropped a small green jewel in his hand. "Not worry. Your jewels are paying for it."  
Willow didn't care. She was happy that the jewels she had to offer were going to good use. So far it paid for their meals and sometimes their lodging if they chose not to sleep on the Strahl and other things like potions or weapon upgrades, which Fran and Balthier frequently did.  
"I thought I'd find you two here." The door to the shop chimed a bell above as Balthier made his way in. Penelo and Vaan were right behind.  
"Willow!" Penelo ran up to her and grabbed her hands. "I didn't think I'd get to see you again so soon. How are you liking Rabanastre?"  
Willow smiled shyly. "I uh...I really like it. I've never seen anything like it."  
Vaan rubbed right below his nose. "Yeah, Rabanastre is a pretty cool place. It's the best place if you ask me."  
Penelo laughed. "Oh Vaan, of course, you would say that."  
"Let's hurry back to our place. We can talk more freely there." Said Vaan.

Vaan's and Penelo's home was in the slums of Rabanastre. But it wasn't so much a slum as it was a cozy hideout. The young couples home sat in a corner far away from the business of the twisted streets. The large door was made of metal with one window on the side, but a white curtain blocked any view from seeing inside.  
"Welcome to our humble abode." Vaan let them in.  
"Sorry if its a mess," Penelo added.  
Balthier was quick to find himself a seat. "Not at all. I think I can get used to this place.  
"Careful," Fran joined him. "Don't get too comfortable. I'll end up leaving you here." She caressed his hair.  
That was the first time Willow had ever seen the two in such a state. She had her feelings of the two being a couple. Now she knew for sure. Was her being there butting into their relationship and time together? She had to wonder.  
"Willow, make yourself comfortable. I'll go get everyone something to drink." Penelo ran off to the kitchen.  
"How long have you two lived here?" Willow asked Vaan as he took a seat.  
"Almost three years now. Whenever Penelo and I take to the sky we have some trustworthy friends to look after the place. Plus, Rabanastre is our home."  
Willow gave him a small smile and then looked about the cozy home. "I really like it."  
"Good. I'm glad to hear you say that. Balthier told Penelo and me that he and Fran are going to the Henne Mines. You're welcome to stay here with us until they get back."  
Willow was slow to answer back. "Thank you, but I'm sure I don't have much of a choice, do I?"  
Vaan was a little taken aback by her choice of words and wasn't sure what to say.  
"Here we are!" Penelo's voice sang as she set the tray of drinks down before everyone. It's hard liqueur. I got it for pretty cheap when I did a favor for someone a few weeks back." Penelo sat with Vaan and let him put his arms around her.  
"Have you ever had alcohol before, Willow?" Vaan asked as he poured Fran and Balthier a cup.  
Willow shook her head, her cheeks going red from embarrassment. "I...I have not. Mother never allowed it."  
Vaan poured another glass but before handing it to her he asked: "How old are you?"  
"I'm nineteen." She answered him.  
Vaan slid the drink over to her. "You're old enough. Go ahead. Have a swig!"  
Willow brought the cup to her lips and sniffed. It was sour and bitter at the same time. Next, she dipped her tongue and grimaced as she held the cup away from her face. "Ew! I can't!  
"You have to do it quickly," Vaan told her and he poured himself a cup and gulped it down within a second. "Ah! See, its that easy."  
Willow was unsure but she did it anyway and ended up choked as her throat started to burn. Most of the liqueur went on the table. Willow coughed, trying to catch her breath. "I'm sorry," she wheezed. "I wasted your liqueur."  
Balthier laughed. "She reminds me of when I had my first taste of alcohol. I think I was ten."  
Willow looked at him with wide eyes. "Ten?" Her mouth gaped open at him.  
"I think you've had enough to drink." Fran swiped what remained of his drink and finished it off quickly. "It's not good to get drunk right before a mining raid."  
"So you're leaving tomorrow then?" Penelo asked.  
Balthier stood up. "Tonight actually. Fran and I will head there as soon as we are done here."  
Fran stood up as well. "We know you two will take good care of Willow." She headed to the door.  
"Vaan, care to join us outside for a moment. There is something I must share with you."  
"Yeah, sure."

While the three left to talk outside for a moment Willow and Penelo enjoyed the quietness.  
"How much of Ivalice have you seen?"  
"Not much. But I like what I have seen so far. Archadia was wonderful. I hope I can go back one day."  
Penelo smiled knowingly. "Yes, I have good memories there...and bad ones, but mostly good."  
It was at that moment that Willow noticed that Penelo hadn't a drink yet. "Do you not drink alcohol?"  
It was a few seconds before Penelo answered. "Recently the smell has made me feel sick to my stomach."  
"Oh, I see."  
"Ah, what did you think of Larsa's birthday party? Wasn't it beautiful? His speech was amazing..as always." She was quick to change the subject.  
Willow agreed with her. "Yes, everything was so beautiful played out."  
Penelo looked at her in question. "Huh? Played out?"  
Willow felt embarrassed again and blushed. "Sorry. What I mean to say is that everything was set up so carefully. Nothing went wrong." What Willow really wanted to say was that everything that happened that day was planned out well ahead of time. Larsa's speech, the formation of the crowd, guards, conversations, etc. Willow had seen this sort of party before and she was all too familiar with it.  
Vaan came back but this time Balthier and Fran and did not return. "Balthier told me to tell you that he expects you to be better with that dagger when he returns." He said this to Willow as he grinned. "Penelo and I can help you with that."  
Willow was a little confused by this. "What do you mean? How long will they be gone?"  
Vaan shrugged. "A few days maybe?"  
"You seem upset about this. Have you grown close to them, Willow?" Penelo asked.  
Willow sighed. "It's just that they saved me and have looked after me the last couple of weeks. I'd feel terrible if anything bad were to happen to them."  
"Don't worry," said Vaan. "As Balthier always says: 'I'm the leading man'." He mimicked his accent perfectly, making Penelo laugh.  
"He always says that? I have yet to hear him say it." Willow admitted.  
"Perhaps one day you will be lucky enough to hear him say it," Penelo told her.  
Willow smiled. "Yeah, maybe."

That night Willow had gone to sleep early seeing as she was tired from the events of the day that had transpired.  
Vaan and Penelo were enjoying what they thought would be a quiet evening alone together, but the door to their humble home was knocked upon. It startled them a bit as they were not expecting guests at this hour.  
"Stay here," Vaan told Penelo as he picked up a sword sitting off to the side and slowly opened the door, leaving the chain lock in place. "Can I help you?" He asked the dark hooded figure.  
"May we come in?" They asked.  
Vaan looked at the tall figure standing behind the first. It was then he recognized the voice. "Larsa?" he whispered.  
"How long will you keep me out here Vaan? Shall I start counting?"  
Vaan noticed a grin beneath his hood. Vaan undid the latch and stood to the side to let the young Emperor and his companion in. "Let me guess, Basch is with you?"  
Basch removed his hood. "Took you long enough."  
Penelo was completely overjoyed when she saw them. So much so she leaped from her seat and ran to greet them. "What brings you here to our corner of the world? And how did you find us?"  
Larsa removed his heavy black velvet cloak and let Basch both of theirs up. He was dressed in a clean white cotton long sleeved shirt with ruffles at the cuffs. His black vest bore the symbol of Archadia and his black pants fit him nicely as he kept the bottom of them tucked away with his knee-high boots. To Penelo and Vaan he still looked like royalty, but to him, this was his version of dressing down.  
Basch was dressed in more normal attire consisting of dark blue breeches and a black long sleeved shirt with padded armor on his chest and arms. "It wasn't very hard to find you two."  
"All we had to do was ask a few people if they knew you. All we had to say was that we were looking for a job to get done. They were more complying to help us out." Larsa explained the rest.  
"You'll have to tell us which friend sold us out," Penelo teased. "But first, have a seat and relax. You two must be tired."

The four of them spoke of old days first, reminiscing about the past. And as the evening dragged on tired eyes started to drop.  
Before they fell asleep Vaan sparked the dying conversation. He needed to tell them what Balthier and Fran and spoke to him about. "There's something I need to tell you." Everyone was silent. Vaan looked to Larsa and Basch. "Balthier and Fran were here a few hours ago. They headed to the Henne Mines for a raid. They left Willow in our care. She's sleeping upstairs right now."  
This peeked Larsa's attention. "They were here? I'm glad they left Willow behind. That mine is no place for a girl like her."  
Penelo rested her head to one side. "You say this as if you know her well. Did something happen after the party?" She raised a brow.  
Larsa did well to maintain his composer and not blush. "No, I assure you. I spoke with her once and just by that one meeting I can tell that Willow is not the type to get violent or fight."  
"Speaking of," Vaan cleared his throat. "That's exactly what I need to talk to you about. Balthier told me Willow had an accident today."  
"What kind of accident?" Basch asked.  
"There was a monster raid list up at one of the bars. The Rogue Tomatoes were at it again. So, to test her strength, Balthier had Willow take one on. It didn't end well."  
"Did she get hurt?" Penelo was concerned now.  
Vaan shrugged. "In a way...it has more to do with her mind. Balthier thinks something bad happened to her before she came here."  
Larsa nodded. "Yes, he had written me a letter explaining how he and Fran met Willow. He said she was near death...a refugee."  
"Exactly!" Vaan didn't mean to sound excited, he was just glad he was on the same page as Larsa for once.  
"Everyone knows that the refugees came here for a reason. It's must be bad in their home country. So bad they are willing to risk everything and leave behind all that they know." Basch said.  
Vaan nodded and continued. "Balthier told me that when Willow took on the first Rogue Tomato that she couldn't do it and ended up killing it by accident. After that, a whole group of Rogue Tomatoes came after her. But get this: Willow's dagger started glowing and it seemed like something had taken over her body and killed all the monsters within seconds."  
Penelo was getting uncomfortable with this sort of talk, but at the same time, she felt sorry for Willow. "So, you mean to say some spirit or spell took over her body and forced her to kill?"  
Vaan nodded again. "Not only that, Willow's memory about it is fuzzy."  
"She doesn't realize what happened?" Basch was surprised.  
"Her mind went blank as soon as whatever it was had taken over her body."  
"Is it Willow directly," Penelo asked. "What I mean to say is: is something inside of her?"  
This time Vaan shook his head. "Fran thinks it has something to do with the dagger." Everyone looked at each other with wary eyes. "That's not all," Vaan continued. "Willow ended up getting a small cut on her arm. When Fran healed her, Willow acted as if she had never seen healing magic. When Fran confronted her about this Willow told her that magic is banned in her country."  
"Perhaps that is a reason for them fleeing their own country," Larsa said, thinking out loud.  
"I guess our main concern here is: who IS Willow?" Basch said.  
"That's another thing Balthier told me: he wants us to find out more about Willow. I told him I couldn't promise him anything. It's not like me and Penelo to poke into another people's lives."  
Penelo was starting to feel uneasy and changed the subject just in case Willow were to wake up and hear them. "Larsa, Basch. What brings you two here?"  
Larsa cleared his throat before answering. "I knew you would ask, Penelo, so I prepared myself. The reason why Basch and I are here is that Ivalice may fall."  
"What?" Penelo was starting to feel sick to her stomach.  
"I shouldn't be telling you this, but perhaps you two have already noticed: the soil on which we farm is losing its nutrients...it's dying. If that happens all of Ivalice will suffer. Surviving off of animals and certain monsters will only help us for so long until they too are gone."  
"We have noticed." Said Vaan. "Penelo and I have been trying to find certain potions to help with that...no such luck though."  
"I sent word to Lady Ashe by Moogle. Same with the Rozzarian Empire. I have yet to hear back from them. I wish to know how they are doing."  
"We have a plan though," Basch cut in. "We want to visit the other country and ask whoever is in control about their livestock and farming grounds."  
"We have to have hope," said Larsa. "We don't want that to be another reason why the people may be fleeing. We have come here to ask you to join us on our expedition. We were hoping to run into Fran and Balthier, but I guess they will have to sit this one out."  
"Ah, yeah, about that," Vaan said. "Fran mentioned something about rebels in Willow's country and the fact that the Emperor and his family were killed."  
Larsa was saddened to hear this. "I see. So they overthrew their leader. Things must have gotten incredibly worse after, no doubt. That makes more sense as to why the refugees are here. Now I am unsure of going there."  
"You said you have to try, right?" Vaan tried to sound hopeful. "We don't exactly have to make ourselves known. Go in and get out."  
"Chances are Balthier and Fran may find out where we are headed and come find us." Penelo smiled a bit, trying to lighten up the mood.  
Larsa was pleased to hear this. "Does that mean you two will join us?"  
Vaan rubbed below his nose again. "Yeah, of course!"  
"Feel free to stay here for the night. We have two spare bedrooms. The one at the end of the hall is free. Willow is sleeping in the one right beside." Penelo informed them.  
"Wonderful," Larsa said as he stood. "Then I bid you both goodnight."

Late that even after midnight had come and gone Larsa woke with the urge to relieve himself. The bathroom was just down the hall and he quietly made his way there. He was just a few feet from the door when he heard a soft flush and the sound of water running soon after. Someone was in there and Larsa waited patiently for whoever it was to come out.  
To his surprise and pleasure, he saw Willow. She was half asleep with her eyes barely open. He wondered if she saw him, and his answer was soon met. "Miss Willow..." Larsa started but Willow bumped into him by accident and they nearly fell over. Larsa was quick to steady himself and catch Willow. "Miss Willow are you alright?" he asked. The only answer he got out of her was a soft nod. Another thing that was soft was her skin and cool touch of her long hair. Larsa gulped. He wasn't sure what to do.  
Willow soon slumped to her knees, rubbing her eyes and yawning.  
"Miss Willow, I don't think that is a proper place to sleep." He tried to wake her but it was futile. He was forced to pick her up and carried her back to her room bridal style. He had never carried someone like this before, let alone a girl...and one that he found himself attracted to.  
Larsa laid her back in bed and covered her with the sheet. The moonlight came in through the window and Larsa got a perfect look of her smooth pale face, save for her rosy cheeks. He gulped again and told himself it was a good time to let her be. If she were to wake up now and see him leaning over her it would cause a commotion. But when he tried, Willow latched on to the sleeves of his shirt and moaned in her sleep again.  
A bad dream. Thought Larsa. Poor girl.  
He had had plenty of bad dreams himself and hoped hers was not as bad as his.

Larsa managed to free himself from Willow's grip and before getting up to leave he stared at her as she mumbled: "It's all my fault." Tears fell down the sides of her face.  
What could possibly be your fault? Larsa wondered. He could also tell just by looking at Willow that she was kind and had never hurt anyone in her life. Deep in his gut, he knew this just by looking at her. "Ivalice needs an Empress like you," Larsa whispered very quietly.  
Oh, if only Willow could be just that! For only an Emperor can marry someone of noble or royal blood. Larsa wished that he could break that rule, but he knew that if he did he would be doing something selfish and all of Archadia would suffer.

With one last attempt, Larsa managed to walk to the door and make his way to the bathroom. He let himself admit defeat, defeat to the fact that he had fallen in love with Willow from the moment he saw her.

 **I hope you're enjoying the story thus far. Let me know what you think.**


	5. The Other Side

The following morning as Willow awoke, she dressed and cleaned herself for the usual morning routine. After grooming herself and putting her hair back into a braid and lacing her boots, she walked out of her room and was welcomed by the fresh smell of breakfast. Penelo placed a plate in the middle of the table with a large stack of flap-jacks. Bacon was served on the side along with some fruit and cheese. Vaan could be seen getting a plate ready for himself and pouring syrup on his flap-jacks. But there were two others that sitting at the table that Willow did not expect to see: Larsa and Basch. Although to Willow, Basch was still known to her as Gabranth.  
Willow stopped abruptly at the doorway, suddenly feeling very shy. Everyone turned to look at her. "Ah, good morning." She managed to say and did a small curtsy.  
"Morning, Willow," Vaan said waved her over. "Join us for breakfast."  
Willow took a seat in between Vaan and Larsa and Penelo set a plate down in front of her. Willow was modest with the amount of food she ate. She took only one flap-jack, two slices of bacon, and some fruit, but left out the cheese as it sometimes gave her an upset stomach if she ate it for her first meal. "I was not expecting to be graced with your presence, Lord Larsa and Captain Gabranth. I would have woken up sooner." She delicately placed a napkin over her lap before eating.  
Larsa watched how carefully she ate. "We arrived late last night. There was," Larsa thought for a moment on what to say, "an urgent matter to discuss."  
"Urgent matter?" Willow said with question.  
Penelo finally joined the table and readied her own plate of food. "We would have woken you, Willow, but you seemed so tired and I didn't want to disrupt your sleep." She tried to move the conversation forward as to not raise any suspicion with this "urgent matter" that concerned Willow's country, but no matter, Vaan carried it on.  
"Hows the soil in your country?" Vaan asked getting right to the point.  
Willow was a little taken aback by his sudden question, but regardless of that, she answered him anyway: "The Soil? My people have never had a problem with our soil. It has always been very rich in nutrients. It's because of the harsh winters we have. When everything freezes over and the snow covers the land, come spring and summer it all melts away and renews the land." She paused for a moment and then added: "It has to do with what's inside the snow once it melts and becomes water."  
"So no one is starving?" Larsa asked curiously.  
Willow sighed. "On the contrary: many people are starving, unfortunately. It's because of the rebels. They steal land and take all the food from poor farmers and the like. If you're wondering how the countryside is doing, it's better off than the towns and cities."  
"Is there someone we can speak to about the soil and farmlands there?" Larsa asked again.  
This time Willow was hesitant to respond. "Yes," she answered slowly, "but you don't want to speak to the man who's in charge now. It's Valan Linshk, the one who overthrew the Emperor and his family."  
Basch slid his empty plate forward. A small sigh escaped his lips. "That is a problem."  
Vaan spoke up again: "What if we went there, you know, just to check the place out?" Willow gave him a confused look, so Vaan tried to explain himself better. "We want to check out the soil, maybe bring some of it back and test it on the land here."  
"That's not a good idea," Willow told him.  
"Why?" Penelo asked. She knew that the main problem was because of this Valan guy, but she asked anyway.  
"There are guards all up and down the wall that divides this country and my own," Willow explained carefully. "If you go there you are risking a lot." She then found herself asking: "Why are you all so interested in the soil?"  
Everyone looked to Larsa. Larsa was used to the looks and stares, but it still always made him feel a little on edge. "The soil here is dying." He told Willow truthfully. "I was hoping that your country and this one could work together to make it thrive again."  
Willow dabbed her mouth with her napkin before answering. "If you wish to go then I will not stop you, but I will not be going back. I cannot."  
"We were kind of hoping you would," Penelo said. "You know the area."  
Willow shook her head. "No, you're wrong. I don't know the area as well as you may think. Before this, I had lived a very secluded life."  
"We won't let anyone hurt you," Vaan assured her. "We'll stay right next to the wall."  
Willow shook her head again. "I can't,"  
Penelo gave her a second choice. "You could stay here, alone..."  
Willow didn't like the sound of that either. "Isn't there some other way?"  
"I wish there was," Larsa said. "But I'm afraid we are pressed for time. It's not our side."  
Willow sat there in silence with them as she thought on this matter a little more. "Have you heard any news on Fran's and Balthier's whereabouts?"  
Penelo shook her head. "No. Those two are very hard to get a hold of. Please, Willow, come with us."  
Willow twisted the napkin in her hands feeling nervous as she was overcome by peer-pressure. "Promise we won't go too far in. In and out, just like Vaan says."  
Larsa smiled at this. "Of course, we promise."

There was a lot to prepare for. Vaan and Penelo ran all over the city to grab items while Larsa and Basch received word from Lady Ashe by moogle while keeping an eye on their friends' aircraft. The fuzzy creature made Willow ogle after it. She had seen them before from far away but never up close, and now that she had she had this sudden urge to run up and hold it. But thankfully she contained herself and walked over to Larsa who opened the letter.  
Larsa read the letter twice, his eyes scanning each word carefully. He sighed.  
"What's wrong?" Willow asked him.  
Larsa folded the letter and placed it inside a leather bag hanging on his side. "It's just more of the same news." He looked at Willow with a steady expression. "It is very important that we bring back some soil to sample it. I thank you for your bravery. I understand that it must be very difficult to go back to such a place."  
Willow rested her hands behind her back and tilted her head to one side. "Do you," she asked, "really understand?"  
Larsa was somewhat surprised to hear this come out of her mouth. Basch was elsewhere for the moment, leaving the two alone. Larsa thought that perhaps them being alone made Willow feel less suppressed and therefore spoke her mind more clearly with less and eyes to see and ears to hear. "If you wish to stay I will not be bothered by it. I would never want to force your hand." Larsa gently held her hand between his.  
Willow stared at their hands. "I'm sorry. I should not have said that. Please, forgive me, Lord Larsa." She took a big breath and slowly let it out. "You have all been so kind to me and I want to repay that kindness in full, but going back to my country frightens me. The bad men who are in charge there will hurt anyone standing in their way. I'm worried that if things get too out of hand, then Valan Linshk will come here and try to take over."  
What Willow was telling Larsa he took very seriously, but to brighten her spirits he said: "Do not worry about him coming here, Miss Willow. The Archadian Empire, along with Dalmasca and the Rozarian Empire, will strike him down."  
Willow took her hand back and rested them at her side. "Don't be so sure about that." She told him.

Larsa did not have the chance to answer her back once Vaan and Penelo came back, and Basch could be seen coming down the ramp from the aircraft.  
"Are we ready, kids?" Vaan said jokingly.  
Penelo rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "Always the comical one." She playfully shoved him and hurried on to the aircraft.  
Penelo's and Vaan's aircraft may not have been as fancy as Fran's and Balthier's, but it was a little bigger, leaving more space for everyone to move around more freely.  
"Everyone find a comfortable seat and strap yourselves in," Vaan said as he started up the aircraft. "It's going to be a few hours before we reach our destination." He seemed really excited about this.  
While Larsa took a seat in front of Basch he chose to sit beside Willow and fastened his belt. All the while Willow kept her gaze on the window and gazed out at everything the higher they went. Soon the city and all the inhabitants looked like tiny marbles and that's when they took off with a slight jolt, but from then on it was smooth sailing.  
"Do you have aircraft's such as this where you are from?" Larsa asked Willow.  
Willow tore her gaze away from the window and looked to him. She shook her head. "No, but we have grand ships that sail the ocean." A faint, thoughtful expression spread across her face as she suddenly remembered something nice. "Perhaps someday you will see one of these grand ships." She told him.  
"I would like that very much," Larsa said to her.  
As their innocent conversation went mostly unheard under the playful banter of Vaan and Penelo, Basch could tell his young friend, the Emperor, fancied his new companion. He kept his thoughts to himself though, as Larsa was rarely given the chance to converse with people he actually enjoyed talking to.  
"Tell me about the good things in your country," Larsa asked. He wanted to make Willow feel less nervous about going back there. If she were to talk about happy things, then maybe it would be less stressful for her.  
Willow thought for a moment. "Well, for one, my family and I enjoyed praying to the Gods. It always made us feel stronger as a family. Afterward, we would go on a hike and pack a picnic to have along the way. Later, we would wash our tired feet in the stream and let the fish tickle our toes."  
Larsa smiled at this. He'd never heard of anyone letting fish nibble at their toes. "How very interesting."  
Willow went on to tell him of all the favorite things she enjoyed doing. "Four days a week my sisters and I would practice playing musical instruments. Our mother and sometimes our father, would sit in the room and listen to us. Music plays a big role in the lives of the people in my country. Almost everyone knows how to play at least one instrument."  
"What was your favorite instrument to play?" Larsa asked.  
"The Violin," and then she added: "And also the piano."  
Larsa was impressed. "You will have to play a song for me someday."  
Willow looked down at her lap to hide her blushing face. "If you'd like, Lord Larsa."  
"Here we are," said Vaan. "I can see the wall. I'm going to set us down gently." He then said. "I see a clear path for a good landing."  
Penelo flipped a few switches and pressed a blue button. "Good, just don't wreck anything on your way down, will you?" She teased.  
Larsa looked to Willow when she suddenly grabbed his hand. She looked nervous as they started to descent. It looked like their lite hearted conversation had little impact on the emotions that were bubbling up inside of Willow.

As the aircraft came to a sudden stop and the soft humming became silent Vaan and Penelo unhooked their belts and stood up.  
Penelo looked to Willow. "If you want, you are more than welcome to keep an on this girl." She said referring to the aircraft.  
Willow nodded and stood up along with everyone else. "I would prefer that, yes."  
"Do you feel comfortable being alone for a few minutes?" Vaan asked.  
Willow seemed unsure but she bobbed her head anyway. "Yes,"  
No matter Willow's answer, Larsa didn't feel comfortable leaving her all alone. "Do you want one of us to stay with you?" He offered.  
Willow shook her head this time. "No, I'll be okay. Just come back soon, and safe." She told everyone.  
Larsa was reluctant to leave but no more was said on the matter. Vaan and Penelo made sure the door to their aircraft was locked and secured before venturing out.

As the happy couple walked on ahead Basch saw this as the perfect opportune moment to speak with Larsa on regards to Willow.  
"I know I may be overstepping my boundaries here, but as a loyal friend I must say what is on my mind: I think your relationship with young Willow is growing rather quickly."  
Larsa was beginning to wonder if Basch would catch on. "I know what you must be thinking: I'm getting too close to her and you are worried it may become something else."  
Basch didn't hesitate to agree on this matter. "Yes. Lord Larsa, Archadia expects much from you. Bringing a commoner into this circumstance would shift things in the neighboring Empires greatly."  
"But what if she's not a commoner?" Larsa said quickly.  
Bash raised a brow in question. "How do you mean, my Lord?"  
Larsa stopped walking unexpectedly, catching Basch off guard an forcing him to return to his side. "Have you noticed the way Willow carries herself, speaks and even eats? Why it's almost noble-like." And he continued walking with Vaan and Penelo a few more paces ahead of them now.  
"Are you saying Willow is a noblewoman?" Basch wanted to know.  
"I'm saying anything is possible. Take a look at Penelo, for example, even with her good manners it is nothing like Willow's. A "commoner" does not watch themselves so closely when it comes to doing the simplest things in everyday life. Honestly, Basch, living in the palace for as long as you have I am surprised you haven't caught on yet." The two of them stopped suddenly as Vaan and Penelo whispered for them to stop for a moment.  
"I think this is far enough," Vaan said. "Let's each dig up a fair amount of dirt and get out of here."

All the while Willow sat by herself on the aircraft and continued to gaze out the window. Talking with Larsa about the blissful moments with her family made her happy and sad. She badly wanted to return to those days, but she knew she never could. They were gone now and she would never see them in this life ever again. One of the reasons she fled to Ivalice was not only to escape the evil hands of Valan Linshk, but to seek out a new life and start again. So far things were not turning out the way she had hoped. The more her mind delved into the past the better she could remember the screams of her loved ones. They all told her to run and not look back, and she did. Yet here she was, back where she swore she'd never return to.

All of a sudden there was a rumble and a loud humming sound could be heard quickly approaching. Willow pressed her hands against the glass of the window and watched as familiar aircraft flew over this one. It was the Strahl. For a second Willow was confused. Why were Balthier and Fran here? They had obviously lied about where they really going.  
Soon after Vaan, Penelo, Larsa, and Basch returned to the aircraft quickly. All looking spooked and in a hurry to leave.  
"What happened?" Willow asked they rushed to get the aircraft started again.  
"Guards," Vaan said quickly as he hastily started up the aircraft, not bothering to strap himself in the seat first.  
Penelo looked back at Willow and said: "In your seat, quickly!"  
Willow plopped down in her seat and strapped herself in. She looked to Larsa and noticed a thin red line on his cheek with a tiny drop of slowly trickling down his face. Willow reached to wipe it away and Larsa automatically swished her hand away.  
"Oh! I'm sorry." He said as he did not mean to swat at her. He looked shocked and taken off guard.  
"What happened?" Willow asked him, but it was not Larsa who answered her.  
"Those guards you spoke of surprised us." Said Basch. "We also ran into a few sky pirates. You know them well." He commented.  
So Willow was right. It was Fran and Balthier that she had seen. "I see," she said. "I was afraid something bad like this would happen. I'm sorry."  
Once the aircraft took off with a forceful push, holding everyone back in their seats for a few seconds before letting up, Larsa finally said: "Don't be sorry. We knew what we were doing was dangerous."

Once they were back in Ivalice, Vaan and Penelo spotted the Strahl a few miles ahead. Balthier and Fran had stopped at the newly opened hot spring.  
"Of all the places for them to, they go here," Penelo said. "That's almost typical of them."  
They carefully landed and hurried to their sky pirate friends. Larsa was gracious enough to pay everyone's way into the hot springs. Once inside they saw Fran and Balthier being handed bath tokens before entering.  
Balthier wasn't surprised to see them but acted like he was anyway. "Ah, hello." He said.  
"Hello indeed." Said Penelo and then she brought he voice down to a whisper. "I thought you two were bounty hunting."  
Balthier chuckled. "About that...how about we all enjoy a nice soak before diving into such business, hmm?"  
Penelo grumbled a bit. "I swear, Balthier, if you and Fran end up disappearing on us again, I'll...I'll do something you don't like."  
Fran smiled, trying to lessen the tension between everyone. "Not to worry. We will discuss things shortly."  
Everyone was soon handed bath tokens and guided to the hot springs. There were three sections: one for women and one for men, and one for both.  
Willow was given two fresh towels and a couple bars of soap. All of this was placed in a wicker basket. The woman who handed Willow what she needed explained to her how the hot spring and the tokens worked, but most of what she said did not stick with Willow. The most she got out of it was what tokens did and what the hot springs had to offer.  
"Your skin will be rejuvenated!" Said the lady. "Please, enjoy your stay here." And she left Willow to her own accord.  
Fran and Penelo had separate rooms, as did the guys, to get ready. And as Willow stepped out into the hall she looked both ways. No one was in sight. She quickly tip-toed her way over to the women's side of the hot spring and slid open the door. It was a unique setting, the hot spring. Everything had an oriental feel to it, yet at the same time, some of it was modernized for its customers conveniences.  
When Willow stepped into the open area she was outside and found the steamy pool resting up against the edge of a cliff. Rocks and other large boulders were set in place to give this particular hot spring an earthly feel. The water was green and it smelled like herbs and exotic flowers.  
Penelo and Fran were there too.  
"Be sure to rinse yourself properly." Penelo reminded Willow. "Do you need my help? I can scrub your back."  
Willow looked to Fran who was already relaxing in the water. Her hair was down and covering her breasts as she sipped on a cold drink. "Yeah, sure...um..." Willow looked back at Penelo, unsure to unwrap the towel from her body. She set her basket down next to a small wooden seat. "Can I sit here?"  
Penelo nodded. "Of course. You're supposed to anyway. This is where you sit to scrub your body clean before getting into the water."  
Willow was somewhat confused. "I thought that the water would do most of the cleaning."  
Penelo chuckled softly, understanding full well that Willow had never been to a hot spring before. "It's different here," Penelo started to explain. "Sit on the chair and I'll wash your back. Once you clean your body you get into the water to relax, like what Fran is doing. Your clean body will soak up the nutrients without getting the water dirty. That's why it is important to clean your body beforehand."  
Willow nodded, understanding. "I see. Well, alright then." She sat on the chair and loosened the towel a little bit so her back was exposed but kept her front covered.  
"I'm so jealous." Penelo started. "You already have such nice skin. You're going to be glowing like a goddess after you get done soaking in the water."

The water was everything Willow hoped for and more. However, catching glimpses of Fran's and Penelo's bodies made Willow feel self-conscious, even if it was never her intention to see them that way. Willow was always told to mind her manners and keep herself well reserved, meaning: don't show skin, don't be improper, no bad manners, no foul language. A lady must be a lady or she no lady at all. Those were hammered into her head all her life, but never once did she fully believe that was the only way. She had Penelo and Fran to look up. They had done everything a "lady" shouldn't do, yet they proved to be more of a woman than a lady could ever hope to be. They fought, they talked back, they were smart; they were so many things Willow wanted to be, too.  
"How far along are you?" Fran asked Penelo as the three of them relaxed in the water.  
Penelo was cut off guard and nearly spat out her ice water. "W-what?"  
"Don't look so surprised," Fran said. "You have a little one waiting to say hello to the world."  
Penelo's face flushed red. "How could you tell? I haven't told anyone yet!"  
Fran smiled knowingly. "Penelo, you should know me better by now."  
Penelo splashed her face with some water to refresh her spirits. "I haven't told Vaan yet. He'll freak. I mean, he'll be happy, but he'll go into a panic more."  
"Congratulations," Willow said and smiled. Indeed, she was happy for Penelo, yet she was scared for her too. The only experience she had with childbirth was her mother failing to bring any sons into the world. Willow didn't want that to happen to Penelo and she silently prayed for a prosperous birth.  
"And to answer your question, I think I'm two months along. I'll start to show soon. But I'll tell Vaan before that, though." Fran raised a brow at her. "I promise!" said Penelo.

After their bath, the girls met up with the boys, all dressed with their white robes and soft white slippers. Food had been prepared for them on a long table that sat close to the floor. Giant pillows sat on either side, their colors ranging from red to yellow, blue and dark purple. When Willow saw her friends sit on the pillows she did the same, no matter if she thought that sitting on pillows at the dinner table was odd to her or not. They were comfortable and she was quickly growing fond of the concept.  
"Let's get straight to business." Said Vaan. "Why did you lie about where you were going?"  
Balthier poured himself a tall glass of an alcoholic beverage and finished it off. He poured himself another glass before answering Vaan. "Vann," he said, "have I not taught you anything? I'm a sky pirate. I lie. That's part of my job. Besides, telling you the truth would only worry you."  
"That doesn't answer my question: why were you there?" He was drinking just as much as Balthier now.  
Balthier looked to Willow and then back to Vaan. "You really want to know?" He took a bit of a crispy chicken leg. "To find more treasure. However, we ran into some unwanted guests."  
"The guards," Penelo answered.  
Balthier nodded and took another drink. "Exactly. You know who else we ran into? These weren't your typical guards or soldiers or whatever you want to call them. These men were highly skilled warriors."  
Willow started growing nervous and the thought of eating any food was making her sick.  
Larsa noticed her slid her plate forward and rest her hands on her lap. He leaned in and whispered to her: "Are you alright?" Willow nodded weakly.  
Fran cut in on the conversation. "We did not meet this Valan Linshk, but we did meet with someone who might very well be just as important."  
"Damien Orvicus," Willow said quietly.  
Balthier looked over to Willow and gave her one nod. "Yes. How did you know?"  
"I've met the man. He does all of Valan's dirty work, and being out in the middle of nowhere is not something Valan would do himself unless he absolutely had to."  
"You seem to know quite a lot about these dangerous men," Basch spoke up.  
Willow looked to him. "Everyone in my country knows these men. It's never hard to find out what kind of people they are, Mr. Gabranth." She answered him without falter.  
Basch sipped at his drink. "He wasn't going to say any more on the matter. She obviously did not appreciate being spoken to like that. And then he remembered what Larsa said: if Willow was a noblewoman, then all her manners came along with something else, too, and that was an attitude, and being spoken down to or questioned was something no nobleman or woman appreciated.  
Balthier then said: "Why were the five of you there?"  
"We were looking for soil to bring back," Larsa said.  
Balthier looked confused. "Soil? Why?"  
Larsa quickly explained the new troubles Ivalice was facing.  
Fran sighed. "Ivalice will have more to worry about than just the soil." She paused for a moment to make sure she had everyone's attention. "These men we ran into, we spoke with them. As Willow has informed us, they are nor friendly people. I have an ill feeling in my gut that tells me will have to do something about them soon. The wall will not keep them away for much longer. The leaders of that country will seek out its refugees and find out what they have been doing this whole time."  
"And," Said Balthier. "There is no mist there. You all know the pros and cons of the mist, and I'm warning you now, those people will come here looking to use its power. If that happens they are more than likely to use it against us."  
Larsa was not pleased with this. Its weight on his soul. "You are talking of war." He moved his glass cup in a circular formation and watched the liquid flow in tow.  
Balthier nodded to his young Emperor. "Afraid so. Looks like you have your hands tied yet again, young Lord of Archadia. Everyone in Ivalice will have to set aside their differences and work together to defeat an enemy more powerful than your late brother."  
Balthier hit a sensitive subject and Larsa did well to hide his emotions.  
"You will watch your tongue!" Basch said sternly.  
Larsa held up a hand. "Such a trivial comment does not matter when there are far more serious things to worry about."  
Willow was taken aback for a moment. Larsa never told her much about his brother. And by the sound of things, his older brother was not well liked.  
Penelo yawned. "I'm tired. Excuse me while I go find a soft pillow to rest my head." She kissed Vaan goodnight before leaving.  
"Are you going to follow after her?" Fran asked Vaan.  
Vaan took one last drink. "Just one last drink." He gulped it down and hurried after his wife.  
Balthier stretched his arms and stood up. "I best head off to bed as well. Excuse me for anything unsettling I might have said." He said this to Larsa.  
Larsa gave him a small grin. "Your smooth apology has been forgiven."  
"Will you come along?" Balthier asked Fran.  
Fran popped a grape in her mouth. "A Viera will come when she is ready."  
Balthier yawned. "As you wish." And he gave her a loving caress across her face before heading off to bed.  
Larsa stood up soon after. "I fear the party is over for the night."  
Basch stood up next. "Shall I walk you back to your room?"  
Larsa waved a dismissive hand. "That won't be necessary. Good night everyone. I big you a well rested night." And he bowed before he, too, left the room.  
"Then I shall see myself off to bed as well." Basch bid Fran and Willow a good night.

A moment of silence passed before Fran spoke up again. "Are you not tired?" She asked Willow.  
Willow slumped forward. "I am, but I do not want tonight to end."  
"Why is that?"  
"For the first time in a long time, I'm enjoying myself. And I know that tomorrow we will all split up again."  
A small sigh slipped from Fran's lips. "Yes, people often part ways."  
Willow looked t Fran and asked: "You don't seem bothered by this. Why?"  
Fran shrugged, which was something Willow had never seen her do before. Perhaps it was the alcohol that was making her act differently. "When you are as old as me perhaps it will make more sense."  
Willow was confused again. "As old as you. How do you mean?"  
Fran smiled, her cheeks had a faint rosy color to them. "I should get some sleep. Good night, little one."

Willow didn't much like being in a room all by herself and she saw herself to her room soon after.  
"Miss Willow." A voice called to her.  
Willow turned to see who called her name before going into her room. "Oh, Lord Larsa. Is something the matter?"  
Larsa shook his head. "No, I just wanted to see you before you went to bed."  
Willow tilted her head to the side in question. "I thought you had already gone to bed yourself."  
Larsa looked a little embarrassed now. "I was hoping to tell you something before." Willow waited for him to speak again. "We might not see each other in the morning. I have to rush back to the empire and write letters to Lady Ashe and the Rozarrian Empire on what we have learned today. My question to you is: can you keep this all a secret?"  
Willow nodded. "Of course. Keeping secrets is my specialty." She smiled a little.  
Larsa smiled back. "Wonderful." He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. "Good night."  
Willow looked to the side and blushed. She was not expecting him to do that. "Yes, well, good night, Lord Larsa."  
"Please call me Larsa. Just Larsa." And then he said. "And can you do something else for me?"  
Willow calmed herself and her hot face cooled. "Yes?" she asked as she looked back at him.  
Larsa forced himself to say it. If he didn't say it now he never would. "Promise you will write to me? I'm not sure when I will see you next...any of you. Penelo usually writes me, but she has been so busy that I haven't received one from her for a very long time. I'd like to know how everything is going outside the palace walls. Can you do that for me?"  
"I shall try." She gave him a curtsy.  
"Then I shall wait indefinitely." He said and gave her one last bow.  
This almost made Willow laugh and she bid Larsa Good night before retreating to her room for the evening.

As Larsa made his way back to his room he thought back on what Willow keeping all this news a secret and he wondered what else she was keeping secret. Larsa might have spent of his days cooped up in the palace but that didn't deter his skills when it came to reading people. Willow was obviously hiding something, but of course, Larsa would never ask her outright. When she was ready perhaps someday he would learn more about her and who she really was. For now, there were more important things to figure out and take care of. Ivalice was on the verge of disaster, and if Larsa failed to see a compromise met between everyone, then all would be lost and there would be no future for Ivalice.

 **Please leave a review! It encourages me to get chapters out faster.**


	6. A Picture Worth A Thousand Words

_In the sky, a Rozarrian airship flew over the border and into the country known as Zartoska. It was summer and the land was luscious and green. The rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds were crystal blue and clear. The mountains climbed the sky high with bits of snow still sitting on top from the freezing winter. There was an enormous amount of farmland and small towns lay every fifty to a hundred miles apart, but the Rozarrian airship was not headed to any of these towns. Its destination was a summer palace sitting to the west of the country. The palace was safeguarded by a forest and a stone gate to block off any and all intruders. It was all white and looked to have at least two-hundred rooms. It was built in a long, rectangular shape with a garden resting in the middle of it with a beautiful fountain of gold statues of angels spitting out water from their spears._  
 _The Rozarrian airship landed safely in an open spot of the garden. Servants and guards were there waiting for them as they came off the airship._  
 _A manservant approached the young man with dark hair. "Ah, Al-Cid Margrace." He looked around and then asked: "Where is your father?" He could only see women servants and a few Rozarrian guards behind the young man._  
 _"My father is busy as of late. I have come on my own. Is there a problem?" Al-Cid said to the man._  
 _The manservant's eyes went wide and shook his head. "N-no, your grace. This way, please. The Emperor and his family are waiting to see you."_

 _Al-Cid followed the manservant and others across the garden and up a flight of white-stone stairs with pale-blue railings that had beautiful designs painted in gold on it._  
 _When they reached the top, twin doors opened up into the palace and Al-Cid was welcomed into a room that looked like it had been made for the Gods. The wooden floors were shiny with white and black suns also made out of wood to fit into the floorboards. The walls were white with gold statues and other designs and they trailed every inch and corner of the windows, mirrors and other edges. And on the ceiling was a mural of Holy Knights and soldiers with a gray-blue backdrop and stone pillars._  
 _The manservant let Al-Cid gap at the room in awe for a moment before gently calling his name again to have him follow._

 _Beyond the room lay a hall decorated much like the previous room. And then the next hall, and the next, until they finally reached their destination. The walls in the room were beautifully decorated in followers of many colors and more of the same gold designs, only this time it was vines that ran up alongside the small white pillars, reaching to the ceiling where another painting lay. This painting was of the sky; one side was the night and the other day. Tall windows sat all around the room; one of them was open, letting in a cool breeze. And there, sitting beside a giant mirror with gold rims, was a table and two young ladies with fine brown hair and green-blue eyes playing a game of cards. Their summer gowns were pale pink with white pearls sewn into them. And their matching shoes were more like silk slippers with a small heel on them._  
 _On the other side of the room sat a rounder, bigger table, and sitting there was an older man and woman. Al-Cid guessed that it was the Emperor and his Empress and the two young ladies were their daughters._  
 _When they saw Al-Cid, they rose from their seats and greeted him courteously._  
 _"Welcome, Al-Cid Margrace, to my summer palace. I am Emperor Kazimir, and this is my wife, Empress Inna." Emperor Kazimir was tall with dark hair closely shaven and a bushy dark bird; his gray-blue eyes were welcoming. He then looked to his daughters and said: "These are my two eldest daughters: Princess Esfir and Princess Karina." Both girls wore their hair up and neatly held any strays down with silver pins and smiled sweetly, dimples showing. Emperor Kazimir looked about the room and then said: "Forgive me. It seems I am missing two other daughters."_  
 _"Here we are!" Two girls rushed in from a separate door, nearly knocking each other over from trying to squeeze through the door at the same time._  
 _Empress Inna did not look impressed and pursed her lips together as he gave her two younger daughters a knowing stare. Her usual soft green eyes looked stern for a moment, and a single strand of light brown hair fell out of place alongside her face._  
 _The Emperor cleared his throat as his two youngest quickly hurried alongside their older sisters. "My apologies, Al-Cid Margrace."_  
 _Al-Cid raised a hand to let him know that it was alright. "No need to apologize, Your Great One."_  
 _Emperor Kazimir continued on by introducing the rest of his family. "Al-Cid, please meet my two youngest, Princess Mira and Princess Elise." The two younger sisters wore similar dresses to their older siblings, only the color of their dresses was a pale blue and they wore their hair down to fall behind their backs. At that moment the four girls gave Al-Cid a perfect curtsy._

 _Al-Cid wasn't just there for leisure. There was business at hand. His father had met with the Zarkian Emperor once the year before and the two decided then and there that Al-Cid, who was twenty-three at the time, would marry the oldest, Esfir, who was seven years younger. Al-Cid was there to meet with Esfir and become antiquated with her in hopes of a bonding friendship._  
 _While Al-Cid was busy holding an interesting conversation with Esfir, Elise, the youngest, came to annoy them._  
 _"What are you two talking about?" She asked wanting to know and she had with her pet dog. The small creature was still a puppy and fit perfectly in her arms._  
 _"Grown-up things," Esfir answered her little sister. "Now go and play somewhere else."_  
 _Elise wriggled her nose. She didn't like that idea. "But I want to talk with Al-Cid, too."_  
 _Esfir was going to say more but Al-Cid spoke before she could. "How old are you, Princess Elise?"_  
 _Elise smiled. "I'm nine, nearly ten."_  
 _Al-Cid smiled. "Ah, only nine and already you are so beautiful. No doubt you will blossom just like your big sister here."_  
 _Both the sisters blushed._  
 _"Are you really going to marry Esfir? She has already turned two suitors away."_  
 _Esfir's face turned three shades red. "Elise, you will hold your tongue." But she was set at ease when Al-Cid started laughing._  
 _"My," said Al-Cid, "you sure like to talk. Tell me, what is the name of your friend?" He asked in regards to her puppy._  
 _Elise snuggled her pet even more. "This is Willow. He likes to eat from my plate if I can't finish my food."_  
 _Al-Cid raised a brow. "A boy dog named Willow. How interesting." He grinned._  
 _Esfir let out a small sigh. "Please, Elise. Go play someplace else."_  
 _Elise grumbled. "Oh alright." And then she held her hand out to Al-Cid and they shook hands. His skin was very dark compared to her milky-white complexion._  
 _As they shook hands a soft click was heard just a few feet away. The three looked to where the sound had come from and Mira was standing there with a square device in her hands._  
 _Al-Cid was taken by it and asked: "What is that you got there?"_  
 _Mira walked over and held the device up more for him to see. "It's called a camera. Have you heard of it?" Al-Cid shook his head, so Mira explained: "It's a new invention."_  
 _"What does it do?" Al-Cid asked._  
 _"It takes pictures, like a painting, only there is something called film inside it that captures any moment you want, like you shaking hands with Elise."_  
 _Al-Cid was surprised by this. He liked this "camera"._  
 _"But it takes a long time for someone to develop it." Elise chimed in. "You have to take all that film and put it in water under a red light. I've never seen it but that's what I've been told."_  
 _"Interesting,"_  
 _Just then Karina came to join the conversation. By this time Esfir had given up on any "alone time" with Al-Cid. "Mira, are you taking pictures again? We should have one of our servants take a picture of the five of us."_  
 _Al-Cid liked that idea. "Yes, let's do it!"_  
 _Esfir did the honors of calling over one of their servants and that gathered together in front of one of the fountains and smiled as the soft click sounded from the small device. That moment would be saved forever..._

* * *

A few weeks had gone by since Larsa went on his escapade with his closest friends. He had taken back with him a jar of soil just like he planned and planted it in a small garden on the east side of the palace where it got the most sun and watched as it flourished. It was just as Willow said and all that Larsa hoped for.  
Basch walked on to the balcony with a few letters in his hand. "For you, Your Highness."  
Larsa gave Basch a small smile and took the letters. He sat down on a chair nearby and opened the first with a wax symbol of Dalmasca on it. Larsa Broke the seal and started reading Ashe's letter. It read:

Dear Emperor Larsa,  
It is with great importance and haste that you respond to this letter as soon as you can.  
I have received news from the Rozarrian Empire that the refugees there have started rallying against the natives. They are demanding the same respect and amount of pay. I can see where their concern lies. I am not sure how the refugees are behaving in Archades, but when I last saw you I saw little of them there. I suspect it is because your Empire is a greater distance, thus leaving the south an easy safe haven to reach. Perhaps you will hear of this from the Rozarrian Empire themselves? I cannot say for sure. And in case you are wondering, the refugees here have grown in number here; the same with Rabanastre. Nabradia seems fine for now.  
This country the refugees flee from is known as Zartoska. Mayhaps you have heard of it? The country is rather large. Despite that, I have heard little about the place. Do you know anything? I wish there was a simpler way to communicate.  
Please write back to me soon. I wish to know how things are going and if you need anything.

Your friend,  
Lady Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca.

Larsa carefully placed the letter back in the sleeve it came in and opened the next. By his surprise, it was from an old friend: Al-Cid.  
The letter was worn and disguised as to not tempt anyone to open a letter from a noble in Rozarria. It read:

Dear Little Emperor, (Larsa hated the nickname, but never showed it...that much anyway)  
I write to you secretly and in confidence. Please, take everything I say to you into consideration and the greatest respect.  
A few moons ago my people had an unexpected visitor from the neighboring country, Zartoska. The men who rule that country now are not good men. They are dangerous and they are evil. My Little Birds have told me that a man by the name of Valan Linshk is trying to make deals with the people here in Rozarria. He has even tried buying land! This is bad, Little Emperor. This is not a man we want taking control over anything in Ivalice. Word is: the very man took over an entire Empire in a few short years. What I am about to tell you is in confidence: I knew the royal family in Zartoska. They were good people and the Rozarrian Empire almost made a pact with them many years ago, before the war of our Empire's. During that time they were dealing with their own Civil war. Unfortunately, it did not end well for the royal family and they were all slaughtered on Valan's Orders. As a friend, I must warn you: If this Valan Linshk steps on Atchadian land, do not take him lightly. He is strong and cunning and will his damnedest to make you think he will do anything in your favor. He is power hungry, and a killer. Head my words very carefully, Emperor Larsa...head my words.

Al-Cid.

Larsa folded the letter with care and stuck that inside the pocket of his vest and opened the last letter. He could smell perfume. The letter was Penelo; oh how Larsa smiled. He had waited such a long time to receive word from her. Her letter read:

Dear Larsa,  
Vaan and I planted a few seeds into the soil we collected. The results are amazing. The soil is so rich and the plants grow almost twice as fast. I think we are on to something here; I think we can save Ivalice! Although I am unsure of how to get such a large amount of soil back. With a situation like this on our hands, I almost think we will have to speak to whoever is in charge of the neighboring country. Vaan and I know so little about it. When we try asking the refugees about their homeland they are very reluctant to talk about it. I can't help but feel sorry for them.  
I hope things are going well for you, and I understand if you cannot write back. I am sure you are very busy.

Always your friend,  
Penelo.

As Larsa finished reading the letters Basch rummaged through one of his pockets and handed a fourth letter to him.  
"I almost forgot one." He said. Basch bore a grin on his face but Larsa could not see as he wore his helmet to mask any all expressions. As Larsa opened the final letter Basch stepped to the side to give the young Emperor more privacy. The letter read:

Dear Lord Larsa,  
I, your newly acquainted friend, Willow, has found the time to write you a proper letter.  
Balthier and Fran are always on the go. There is hardly a moments rest with them, but I do not mind. I prefer it, actually. It keeps things off my mind.  
As of now, we are near the Barheim Passage. Balthier has it in his head that there is treasure nearby, but Fran thinks otherwise. It is fun to listen to them NOT agree on something. I smile at the thought of this, and I hope you are too.  
It must be very tiresome being an Emperor, but most of all I hope it is not lonely. No one should ever feel so alone. This world is far too big for someone to feel like there is not a single person out there for them.  
I'm sorry...I say these things, yet I do not live by them. By that I mean: I do feel lonely. Even with Balthier and Fran here with me almost always, I feel lonely.  
As you know, I am a refugee and I have no family. I came here to Ivalice by a sliver of hope and barely survived by doing it.  
I wish I could talk with you more in person. There are so many things I would like to tell you about my country, Zartoska. Hopefully, someday you will be able to travel there when it is safe and see how beautiful it really is.

Sincerely,  
Willow.

Larsa smiled from ear to ear as he finished Willow's letter. He folded it carefully and placed it inside the pocket of his vest where Al-Cid's letter lay. All these letters were important to him. He stood up and walked over to join Basch.  
"Are you ready?" Basch asked.  
Larsa nodded. "Of course.  
Another council meeting was to be held, and this time Larsa would speak with the councilmen about the soil, Zartoska, and Valan Linshk. This man he kept hearing about needed to be brought to attention. If he was truly as bad as Willow and Al-Cid made him out to be, then Larsa needed to be prepared for anything. Vayne taught him many things and one of those things were: evil had many faces, no matter what breed. There were greedy people everywhere.

* * *

On the shoreline near the Barheim Passage was a well put-together traders rest stop. Balthier, Fran, and Willow all stopped for a rest before heading out again.  
There was a small inn with selling merchants and the like altogether. The trio was sitting down eating food as an interesting topic on Brainpan started.  
"These fiends are easy to protect yourself from," Fran said as she scooted closer to Willow. She rested her palms facing up and they started to glow a pale blue with white sparks mixed in. "Protecga," Fran whispered and the blue light covered her entire body, Balthier's, and Willow's.  
Willow could feel the spell wrapping around her body like a warm blanket. "Oh, wow! How did you do that? Can you teach me?"  
Fran smiled. "I can. And I can teach you more protection spells."  
Balthier butted into the conversation. "Fran and I have decided it is best if you learn protective spells for now. That way we won't have to watch you so closely if ever we are in battle. Also, you can protect us, too."  
Willow was happy to hear that Balthier and Fran had more trust in her. "I will!" she said happily. "I'm going to do my best, I swear!"

As their lively banter continued, a pair of eyes shifted in the room and spotted Willow. It was a middle-aged woman and she almost lost her breath when she saw the young girl sitting across the room. "Is it you?" The woman asked as she placed a hand on Willow's arm.  
Willow flinched. "What are you doing?"  
The woman's eyes filled with tears. "Please, tell me I'm not dreaming." She fell to her knees in awe of Willow.  
Willow frowned. "I'm sorry, but you have me mistaken for someone else."  
Balthier stood from his seat. "You heard the young lady. Be off, woman."  
The woman did not falter. "It has to be you!" She said louder, more heads turning in their direction.  
Willow stood up fast and pulled away from the woman's grasp. "Leave me be! I am nobody!"  
"I know your face anywhere." The woman went on. "I've seen you walk the city streets on the beautiful green and blue carpets. I've seen you from across the lake on the boat with your family. I know you anywhere."  
"Stop it!" Willow's face flushed red from embarrassment and annoyance.  
"Enough." Fran stepped in between Willow and the woman. "We leave," she grabbed Willow's hands and Balthier followed closely behind.

The trio was about to board the Strahl when the woman followed after them. She tripped over her own feet but rose to her knees and cried out: "One of your sisters still lives!"  
Willow stopped in her tracks. She stared at the ground and no matter what Fran and Balthier said to her she would not move. What the woman said to her had struck a cord inside her.  
The woman carried on with her claims: "I did not see her, but the rumors are everywhere. Valan Linshk and his men still look for you. He knows you are alive and will stop at nothing to find you!"  
Willow turned around fast, her fists clenched. "Shut up! You lie!" The woman was caught off by Willow's outbreak. "My family is dead," Willow continued. "I am nobody and nobody is me. I am a refugee the same as you, now leave me be!" Willow ran to the Strahl and hide herself away.

That evening as the Strahl sailed the starry skies of Ivalice, Fran made her way to the back of the Strahl where she found Willow quietly contemplating.  
"What is the matter, little one?"  
Willow sat with her legs curled up next to her chest and her arms wrapped around her knees. "Nothing,"  
"It's not nothing." Fran said. "The woman said something very important to you, didn't she?" Willow made no comment. Fran sighed. "Everyone is running from something, even the refugees. There is no shame in running." Fran gently reminded her.  
Willow took a big breath before saying: "I am nobody." Fran looked at her like she didn't believe her. "I used to be," Willow said slowly, "but not anymore."  
"That woman said one of your sisters was still alive. Aren't you happy to hear that?"  
Footsteps approached them. "It's time you've come clean." It was Balthier.  
Fran looked to him and raised a brow. "And who is minding the Strahl?"  
Balthier waved a dismissive hand. "Autopilot," he answered her and then knelt down next to Willow. "Who are you?"  
Willow slipped the dagger from her boot and looked at closely. The gems reflected the light in the room back at her. "I promise you, I am nobody."  
"Are you saying that to protect us?" Balthier asked. "Who is Valan Linshk to you really? What did he do to you?"  
Willow sighed. "I am no different from anyone else in my country. Anyone who was on the Emperor's side was killed. Entire families have been finished off by him."  
"Why did Valan want to kill the Emperor so badly? What was his reasoning behind it?"  
Willow looked to Fran but Fran was not going to help her out of this one for she was curious to know as well. "The Emperor wanted to join families with an Empire called Rozarria through marriage. The Emperor of Zartoska was curious about the mist here. You see, there is no mist in my country, just like I told you. Well, Valan didn't like that, and with a country that size, there were others who shared his thoughts. Before The Rozarrian Empire could join with the Zarkian Empire, things got really bad and no one was let in or out. The Emperor and his family went into hiding and no one has heard from them since. Many people believe that Valan finally caught up with them and killed off the entire royal family. When things calmed down I made my escape, and so did many others."  
They all sat in silence for a long moment before Balthier said: "Why do I feel like that is only half the truth?"  
Willow stood up fast. "If you don't believe me, then fine. I don't care. Toss me out and leave me to fend for myself, but just stop asking me so many questions. I don't want to talk about it!" And she stormed off.  
Balthier looked to Fran. "I don't like this." He said.  
Fran nodded. "I feel as if something very bad is about to happen."  
"We'll have to keep a close eye on Willow from now on. If she is part of an important family in Zartoska, then important people will be looking for her. There's a reason why she keeps saying she's "nobody", and it's because she IS somebody."

* * *

Larsa was sitting in his Throne room listening to the concerns of his people. It was almost noon and Larsa's stomach was grumbling. He had had a short breakfast before too long of being called off to other important matters and was tired from having to wake before even the sun. Just when he thought he had spoken with the last of his people, a man marched in with two others at his back. Archadian guards were right behind them, watching their every move.  
The man was tall with blonde, almost white hair cut short. He wore a dark blue and black uniform with badges and pins of many colors on his shoulders. Larsa could tell he was someone important.  
The man bowed and when he looked up at Larsa his bright blue eyes flashed at the young Emperor as he grinned at him. "Your Highness, it is such an honor to meet with you." He stood straight and tall again.  
"What business do you and your men have here?" Larsa asked in a demanding voice.  
The man smiled. "Forgive me, my name is Valan Linshk. I travel from a place called Zartoska. Have you heard of it?" His accent was similar to the other refugees.  
Larsa nodded once. "I have heard of the country, yes. And I have heard of you."  
"Oh, I'm sure you have." Valan seemed pleased to hear this. "And I am sure what you have heard have not been pleasing to the ear." Larsa had no comment on this so Valan continued. "I assure you that whatever you heard is a lie. What I have done for my country has been done out of love for it. I am simply trying to put things to right?"  
"Oh? How so?" Larsa wanted to know.  
"I am looking for the royal family. They have gone missing, you see? I wish to find them and make sure they are alright. Their people need them."  
"How does coming here to ask me this supposed to benefit you?"  
Valan stepped forward and Basch placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and stepped in front of Larsa. "You will go no further," Basch warned.  
Valan did not want to anger Basch any more than he already had turned to one of his men who wore a leather satchel. He opened the flap and took out some papers with pictures on them. "These are photographs of the royal family. I want to know if they look familiar to you." He held them out for Basch to take and Basch handed them to Larsa.  
The pictures were fairly decent sized. "You call these photographs? They are not paintings?"  
Valan shook his head. "No. A camera took these photos."  
"A camera?" Larsa said with question.  
"A device that takes a picture of someone or a place instantaneously."  
As Larsa tried to wrap his mind around that logic he stared down at the photos.

The first photo was of a family: A father, a mother, and four beautiful little girls. The youngest was still a toddler. They wore elegant gowns made out of fur and silk. The backdrop was of a fireplace and on the wall were grand paintings of landscapes. Larsa flipped through more of the photos and stopped to stare at a photo of four beautiful girls. No doubt they were all sisters, as they wore their hair the same: long and beautiful with light brown waves running down their backs and eyes that looked like the morning sky. Their dresses were similar, too: white silk with frills on the edges of the sleeves and bottom. Why the photo had a very virginal look to it as the girls looked so pure and innocent; good and kind. But there was one among the sisters who looked somewhat familiar. Underneath the soft powdered face and welcoming pink lips, Larsa recognized the girl almost instantly. The pearl earrings and crystal rings and silver bracelet could not distinguish the fact that it was Willow who was looking back at Larsa from the photo.  
"Is this the royal family you speak of?" Larsa asked Valan.  
"Yes. The Emperor is Kazimir, his Empress, Inna, and their four daughters, from oldest to youngest, Esfir, Karina, Mira, and Elise."  
Larsa gazed upon the photo a while longer. He silently said the name "Elise" quietly in his head as he figured the youngest looking sister in the photo was named Elise. But now she went by a different name and that was Willow. It had to be her!  
Larsa handed Basch back the photos but kept the one with the just the sisters. "May I keep this one in case I do see anyone resembling these fine ladies?"  
Valan smiled. "Of course not. I have hundreds of more photos."  
Hundreds, Larsa thought. Valan had more photos of Willow and her "family". He wanted to see these photos. "I'm sorry. " Larsa said to Valan. "I have not seen either of these people. How might I contact you if I do?"  
Again, Valan smiled. "You may send word to me by letter if you wish. I reside in the eastern parts of Zartoska where I have taken the liberty to stand guard of the Winter Palace there. I'm keeping it from harm's way until the royal family is found."  
Larsa knew that what this man was telling was all lies. "Very well," Larsa said to him. "Is that all?"  
Valan smiled, pleased with himself. "Yes. And now I bid you farewell. I have other matters to attend to. I'm a very very busy man."

Valan and his men were escorted out and Larsa was left alone with Basch.  
"I don't trust him," Basch said.  
"And neither do I." Larsa handed Basch the photo of the four sisters.  
Basch carefully scanned the photo. "Is that...?"  
Larsa nodded. "Yes, that's willow. Or should I say: Elise."  
"So she is royalty." Basch handed the photo back to Larsa.  
"And if what she has told us, she is the only remaining member of her family. That also makes her the heir to the throne."  
"Sounds like someone I know," Basch told him.  
Larsa wanted to smile at that comment, but his mind was so wrapped up in what Willow had told him and everyone else about Valan Linshk. "If what she has told us is true, than Valan wants Willow dead. He looking for her so he can kill her. Her family is already gone. Valan is not looking for them to keep them safe. He is lying to us."  
"Then that means we need to find Willow. She's in danger."  
"We're all in danger," Larsa said with a sigh. He did not want another war. Fighting for peace was almost more exhausting. "We'll find here." He said that more to himself than to Basch.  
"If Willow is really this Princess Elise," Basch said. "Then that means she could very well become Empress, and with her, on the throne, we could easily come to a truce and Ivalice could be saved by the plentiful land residing in Zartoska."  
Larsa nodded. "Yes, but she mustn't die. If she dies, then it is all over for us. Valan will have what he wants and gain even more power." Larsa slipped Al-Cid's letter from his pocket. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to show you this, but I think you should know."  
Basch took the letter and read it twice. "We need to send word to Rozarria...to everyone."  
"To everyone who is close to us." Larsa cautioned him. "Willow is the key to ending to save Ivalice. I am sure she will happily comply to use the soil from her country to help our farmlands here. And if what Al-Cid said in his letter is true, then the Rozarrian Empire is already on good terms with the Zarkian Empire...or what's left of it, that is. We could all be at peace. No more fighting."  
Basch removed his helmet and smiled at his dear friend. "I'm guessing we'll be sneaking out again?"  
Larsa grinned. "You know me too well."

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	7. As You Wish

**Sorry for the delay. I've been emotionally unstable.**

Fran was brushing out Willow's hair just after a Mandragora hunt. The pesky docile fiends were at it again with annoying the locals. The sun made the Phon Coast look calm and comforting as the trio sat near the shoreline, but not close enough for the waves to reach them. No fiends were nearby to disrupt them either.  
"If you had silver hair like mine," Fran started. "Some Viera might be jealous. You should be proud."  
Willow smiled gently. "My mother used to say that, about being proud, that is."  
Balthier caught wind of this and decided to let himself in on the conversation. "You hear that, Fran? You sound like a mother." He smirked.  
Fran snapped her fingers and a wave of electricity shot through Balthier's hair, sticking it up.  
"Hey, now!" Balthier jolted forward, trying to shake the electricity from his hair.  
Willow laughed while Fran smiled smugly.  
Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind them. "What kind of dancing is that?"  
The trio turned their heads and much to their surprise was greeted by none other than Larsa and Basch. Larsa was dressed in a fine white cotton shirt; the sleeves were a bit puffed out to make it more breathable for his skin. His dark grey pants, however, fit closer to his body, and his tall black boots reaching to his knees made it impossible for any sand to sneak in. And the ends of his hair tied back at the nape of his neck.  
Basch, on the other hand, wore a brown leather vest over his white long-sleeved shirt; his pants were also leather, and his boots stopped at his calves. Around both their hips was a bulky black and silver belt which held their swords in place. It was clear that they had tried their best to look less royalty.  
"Ah," Balthier gave a dramatic bow. "Tell me, why is it that you've graced us with your presence, Emperor?"  
The wind came blowing in from the sea as Larsa gave his friends a warm smile. "Is it wrong to want to see my friends?"  
Balthier raised a brow. "With all due respect, isn't a sky pirate the last person you want to be friends with?" He said this half-jokingly.  
Larsa walked closer to the trio. "With all due respect, don't you think an Emperor can choose whomever he so wished to associate with?"  
Fran rested a hand on her hip. "There is more reason to you coming here than just saying hello. Why else are you here?"  
Basch spoke up. "We were hoping to discuss that matter more privately; someplace less out in the open."  
Balthier nodded. "That can be done." He paused, then looked Larsa and said, "I reckon you got my letter?" Fran shot Balthier a look and of course, he ignored her stare. It was obvious that Fran had no idea that he contacted Larsa.  
Larsa nodded. "I did. That is one of the reasons I sought you out."  
After so long, Willow finally spoke up. "How did you find us?"  
Larsa was pleased to see Willow and also hear her voice. "I'm glad you asked. I have eyes and ears everywhere. It didn't take much asking around the slums of Archadia to find out where the notorious sky pirate, Balthier, was spending his time."  
Balthier started walking towards a ridge where his Strahl was safely kept hidden away. "Let's not waste any more time then, shall we?"  
Everyone but Willow started to follow. "Um, if you don't mind," She started. "I'd like to sit this one out. I feel it is not my place to listen in on this conversation."  
Both Balthier and Fran had no problems with this, Larsa, on the other hand, thought twice about this. In the end, he too decided perhaps it was best she was not present for this discussion. Even though half of it was about her, it was wise to not scare her about anything.  
"Very well." Said Larsa. "Basch, will you stay out here with her?"  
Willow's face flushed. "N-no! That's okay. I can take care of myself."  
Basch walked over to Willow's side. "Sorry, my lady. Emperor's orders."

Larsa, Balthier, and Fran spoke in private aboard the Strahl.  
"I something to show you." Larsa pulled out the letters from a dark purple velvet pouch resting at his side. "Here, a letter from Lady Ashe, and Al-Cid." Lasa waited for the two of them to read both letters.  
Balthier handed the letters back to Larsa and sighed. "What does this have to do with Fran and me?"  
Larsa thought for a moment before speaking. "Valan came to see me just last week." Word of this held both the sky pirates' attention firmly. "He is looking for a certain someone and I believe that someone to be Willow."  
"Why?" Fran asked.  
Larsa was careful to speak clearly. He did not want to repeat himself, for this was a very important matter. "You remember Willow saying that Valan killed her entire family, correct, that he overthrew the Imperial army and family. Valan told me himself that he is looking for the youngest princess, Elise, to bring her home safe. Now, if Willow says that Valan killed the whole family, then why is it that he is looking for one more?" He pulled out the picture of the four princesses from his pouch and handed it to Balthier.  
"That's..." Balthier stared hard at the photo.  
"Willow," Fran finished. She took the photo to get a better look at it. "That is Willow."  
Once Larsa was given the photo back, Balthier said, "So Willow is the youngest princess. And Valan is looking for her so he can kill her."  
Larsa nodded. "Precisely."  
"Still," said Balthier. "What does this have to do with us?"  
"You have taken care of Willow, I mean, Elise, for all these months. Now, I am asking you to hand her over in my care. If she dies, all of Ivalice may die along with her."  
"What do you mean?" Fran wanted to know.  
Larsa was careful with his words again. "I fear that if Valan gains full control and gets what he wants by killing Elise, then the refugees will no longer have any reason to fight back, or possibly even escape to this land. It may prove to be difficult to negotiate with Valan when it comes to their soil. You read Penelo's letter, you know the benefits. What if Valan denies us that help? What then? The people of Ivalice will eventually starve."  
Balthier gently interrupted the young Emperor. "And with Princess Elise still alive that makes her the heir to the throne, the Empress."  
Larsa nodded again, smiling more. "Yes! And I am sure that would want to solve things peacefully. With her on the throne, the people of Zartoska will rise up against Valan. I know they would fight for her, for their royal family."  
Fran softly sighed. "You say her real name is Elise, but to me, she will always be Willow, until the day comes that she says otherwise. And besides, Willow is not prepared to rule an entire country on her own. I think with her being the youngest, she was never meant or even brought up in that mindset. You cannot simply ask her to do this. Willow is a gentle soul."  
Larsa put his head down for a second to recollect his thoughts. "She doesn't have to rule alone." He looked up at his friends.  
Balthier raised a brow and smirked. "Oh? Are you planning to take her hand in marriage?"  
Larsa felt slightly embarrassed now. "If she will have me."  
Fran smiled knowingly. "I could tell you fancied her from the start. Though you never said anything. But now you know that she is a princess and you are free to court her without making anyone angry...or better yet, raising an army that isn't Valan's."  
"I ask you one last time," Said Larsa. "May I take her back with me to Archadia?"  
"And what of Valan?" Balthier questioned. "It sounds like he just waltzed right in. How is that safe for Willow?"  
Balthier had a point and Larsa was sure to make a note of it. "Yes, you're right. But he will not be able to do so so easily next time. You have my word when I saw that no harm will come to the princess."  
"Oh, I have no doubt." Said Balthier. "But it is not my, nor Fran's place to say whether or not she leaves with you. Willow is practically a grown woman. She can make her own choices. If she wants to leave with you, then fine, but you will have to persuade her, and I do not think that will be easy.

During this time Willow was keeping her attention to the sea, watching the waves come in and out. She could feel Basch's stare on her the whole time, although Basch was still known to her as Gabranth. Even when silent the tall Archadian Judge was intimidating. Was he going to say anything? Was he not going to say anything? Was Willow supposed to say something first?  
Then she turned, a look of question spread across her face, keeping her arms behind her back. "Umm...have you always been Lord Larsa's bodyguard?"  
Basch shook his head. "No,"  
Finally, he said something! Willow thought she had managed to crack the ice. "I see." She dug the tip of her boot in the sand as a distraction.  
"Have you enjoyed your time in Ivalice?" Basch suddenly asked her.  
Willow was slightly caught off guard by his abrupt question. "Oh, uh, yes. It has been very nice." She thought back to the moment when she fought her very first fiend and remembering how the dagger controlled her body made her shiver. "Mostly," she finished, touching the hilt of the dagger resting at her hip.  
"Have you thought about going back to your country?  
Willow shook her head weakly. "No. There is nothing left for me there."  
"Then you will stay here, in Ivalice, for good?"  
Willow was unsure of what he was trying to get at and it was making her a little suspicious. "Perhaps," she told him.  
Moments before running into Willow, Balthier, and Fran, Basch, and Larsa had discussed the topic of how they would slowly confront Willow about who she really was. And if things went well and Willow grew fond of Larsa, then there was a chance that the two could unite their royal houses into one. Basch was trying to figure out if Willow had any intention of sticking around, or what her plans might be. So far she gave him little to work on.

At last, Balthier and Fran joined them outside. Larsa was right behind.  
Willow was tempted to ask what it was they talked about, then again she thought best not to pry.  
"Perhaps you two can lodge with us tonight?" Balthier suggested. "It's getting late and there's not enough room for the five of us to sleep comfortably on the Strahl."  
Larsa looked to the west and knew that the sun would be setting in less than two hours. Even though he and Basch had an airship waiting for them some three miles away, Larsa liked the idea of spending a night away from the palace.  
"I have no objections, Gabranth. Do you?" Larsa asked.  
Basch shook his head. "No, my Lord."  
Perfect. Larsa thought. Everything was going according to plan.

There was a camping site not far off from the shore. Two tents were available to rent, but one was being used for the night. Everyone agreed that sleeping all in one tent was fine. There were plenty of cots and soft spots on the floor filled with pillows that no one had to worry where they wanted to sleep and if they would be comfortable.  
The five of them were sitting in a circle enjoying an evening meal. Tonight on the menu was sweet saltwater Crustacean curry. If not for Larsa, they would be eating something far less fancy. Sometimes Balthier could be cheap, and if it meant eating scraps for dinner would save him some coin, then that's how it was. Willow was definitely happy for Larsa's gracious generosity.  
By the time everyone was nearly done eating, Balthier spoke first, getting the conversation going. "Willow, Fran and I have decided to leave you in Larsa's care."  
Willow almost choked on her curry. "What?"  
Fran explained: "Balthier and I are going on a very dangerous raid. It is best if you stay behind this time."  
Willow protested. "But haven't I gotten better at shielding and healing? I can do it! Let me go on the raid." She begged.  
Balthier waved a dismissive hand. "Stop arguing."  
"I'm not." Willow huffed ever so slightly to show how irritated she was.  
Larsa could see this and spoke up. "If I may suggest, Willow, there is plenty at the Archadian palace to keep you busy. Gabranth and I could help you train in magic."  
Willow looked down at her curry and swirled the remains around with her chop-sticks. Her face flushed pink. "I couldn't possibly ask you two to do such things for me."  
Larsa shook his head. "No, it's no trouble at all. Right, Balthier, Fran?"  
Fran nodded once to this. "Yes. And besides, Willow, there is talk of Zarkian soldiers walking around in the southern parts of Ivalice."  
Willow shot her head up and stared wide-eyed at Fran. "What?!"  
"Are you still so eager to join us now?" Fran asked. What she had told Willow was a white lie. It was to keep her safe.  
Willow sighed. "I guess not..."

A few minutes after they had finished eating, Willow stepped outside to get some fresh air. She could smell the salty sea wafting through the cool night breeze. Many of the inhabitants of the camping site had gone off to bed, save for those few who stood to watch at night to keep the place safe.  
"I'm always amazed by how many stars can be seen all the way out here when not in the city." Larsa came up from behind Willow and stood beside her.  
"Yes, they are very pretty." She gazed up at them and enjoyed the magnificent view with the young Emperor in silence for a few minutes. "Although, the same amount of stars, if not more, are always in the sky," Willow said suddenly. "It's just, the lights from the city blind us from the view."  
"That is true," Larsa said and he turned to her. "I do not want you to feel like you are a burden by coming back to the palace with me."  
Willow shyly turned to face him. He stood a head taller than her, making Willow unexpectedly feel so small in comparison to him, and yet, she couldn't help but think that he still had room to grow. "I'll do my best."  
Larsa smiled. The moonlight shined down on his dark hair, making it glisten and casting shadows on his face, making him look that much more mysterious. "Good. I am glad." Larsa was gently, yet swift, the way he grabbed her hand. "Willow, believe me when I say that I will place your needs before my own. If there is anything you ever need, do not hesitate to tell me."  
Willow reluctantly pulled her hand away. She looked at him with a somber look and said, "Lord Larsa...Your Majesty, you've already given me everything that I could ask for."  
"And what's that?" Larsa asked with curiosity.  
This time, Willow smiled, but it was faint. "Your kindness." She answered him.  
Larsa struggled to keep his feelings at bay. He wanted to tell her everything all at once. How much suffering had she endured to feel so indebted to a bit of kindness? "Willow..."  
"Promise me something," she said with more strength in her voice. "As long as you are around me, especially when we are alone, I don't want you to feel you have to entertain me so. Simply being here in silence is enough for me. Your presence is enough." She paused and then said, "Good night, Lord Larsa."  
As Willow started to walk away, leaving Larsa behind, the young Emperor turned to face her and said, "As you wish, Elise."  
Willow stopped abruptly. She did not turn; she did not say anything, only continued walking away from him.

For the rest of the evening, Willow would not look in Larsa's direction. Even as they were all getting ready to sleep for the night, Willow kept her eyes to the floor. She couldn't have been more obvious!  
Larsa could hear her twist and turn in her sleep and eventually saw her get up and rummage through her things. He stayed as still as he could, pretending to sleep. He didn't know if the others were really sleeping, or if they were all just pretending too. Regardless, Larsa watched Willow with one eye open as she packed up what little she had and exited the tent. Larsa waited a few seconds before getting up himself, but before leaving the tent he snatched up his sword just to be on the safe side. He followed Willow and watched as she sneaked by the guards. Balthier and Fran had taught her well, and perhaps she had even had previous practice with sneaking around. It was a good five minutes before Larsa made himself known. By this point, they were ways away from the camping site.  
"Willow, stop." He said.  
Willow squeaked as she jumped and spun around. One look at Larsa sent her running. It was a game of chase now, but it wasn't much of a competition as Larsa's legs were longer and stronger and picked up speed quicker than Willow.  
"Stay away!" She yelled back at him. "Go back!"  
"Willow, please, we need to talk!" Larsa begged her to stop.  
"No!"  
"Elise!" He was gaining on her.  
"Don't call me that!"  
In the pale moonlight, Larsa spotted a few Bangaa pirates. He hurriedly grabbed Willow by the arm and hauled her off to the side with his hand on her mouth to keep her from screaming. It was for her own good, and his too. The Bangaa pirates were not to be trifled with, and Larsa didn't feel like dealing with them. They sunk down against the side of a ridge, breathing heavily from their game of tag. Larsa poked his head out from behind their hiding spot and watched as the Bangaa pirates walked off in the opposite direction. Willow squirmed and struggled against Larsa as he held her firm in his arms.  
"Shhh," Larsa hushed in her ear softly. Once the Bangaa pirates were good and gone Larsa took his hand away from Willow's mouth.  
"Let me go!"  
"Willow...Elise, stop it."  
"Stop calling me that!"  
"How long did you think you would go unnoticed?" he asked her.  
"Please...let me go. You have no idea how dangerous it is to be around me." Her voice was weak, tired from all the running, and tired from the stress.  
"Which is precisely why we must talk."  
Willow was going to say more, but then she noticed a rather odd sensation. "Lord Larsa...your hand..."  
It took a second, but Larsa soon realized the position where he rested his hand. He was groping Willow by accident. "Ah! I'm sorry! Forgive me!" His first reaction was to let her go, which was a mistake on his part because Willow took off running again.

It didn't take much to catch up with her again, but this time she put up more of a fight. Larsa wrestled with her a bit, falling over in the process with him on top of her. He gripped her wrists, but not hard enough to hurt her, and pinned them down above her head. "Listen to me," he said. "We can either do this the easy way or the hard way."  
"I thought we were already doing this the hard way."  
Larsa sighed. "Okay, hard way it is then. Willow, you are going to hear what I have to say: Valan is looking for you. He's been on the grounds of Ivalice; he's been to Archadia."  
Willow stopped struggling, a look of terror washed over her face. "Then why do you want to bring me back there? Is this all a trick? What did he promise you?" Tears welled up in her eyes.  
"He didn't promise me anything. He left without so much as hint to your whereabouts. You are safe...for now."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I won't allow Valan on the grounds of Archadia so easily next time. I came here to bring you back to my palace where I know you will be safe. There are many things I wish to speak to you about, and I had hoped that all of this would've been broken down more gently to you."  
"Then you never should have called me by my real name."  
"I admit it," Larsa said. "I should have been more careful, and perhaps I should have waited until we were back in Archades..." Larsa gambled with his luck by letting Willow go again. He sat kneeling, remaining on top so she'd have less of a chance to run if she so chose, but at least for now Willow could have some of her space back. "But knowing all this will you still come back with me?"  
Willow thought for a moment. "...As you wish."  
Larsa sighed with relief.  
"Under one condition, though."She added and Larsa waited for her response. "You have to keep calling me Willow. As far as you or anyone else is concerned, Princess Elise is dead."  
"You have my word." Larsa placed a hand above his heart.  
"And another thing: I'm guessing your judge Gabranth, the same with Balthier and Fran, they all know as well, correct?"  
Larsa nodded his head once. "Yes,"  
"And what about Vaan and Penelo. Do they know too?"  
"No, they do not."  
"Good. Because I want to tell them."  
Larsa stood up, brushing the sand from his clothes, and then helped Willow to her feet. "So why the name 'Willow'?"  
The Princess in hiding looked embarrassed now. "It was the name of my dog."  
Larsa grinned, fighting back a laugh. He liked it; he thought it was clever. "Cute," he said and then held out his hand to her. "Shall we walk back?"  
"Yes," she shook the sand from her before taking Larsa's hand and walking back to the camp in silence.

When they returned, Basch was standing there waiting for them like an overly protective parent. The look on his face made Larsa think that he was going to be scolded for having been out too late, but he did not. Instead, Basch stood off to the side and let his Emperor, and the Princess, walk on by and back to the tent.  
If not for Basch knowing that Larsa fancied Willow and wanted to make her his Empress, he just might have scolded the young lad, even if it meant Larsa getting mad for talking down to him. They were friends first and foremost, and sometimes such words needed to be said, but not this time. With Willow being the heir to Zartoska, that meant she was more than eligible to become Larsa's wife...if she wanted the same thing, that is.  
Willow's feelings toward Larsa would eventually come to light, but talking to her on such matters was not a good idea right now. She wasn't one to be thrown in the middle of a group and be expected not freak out. Being the center of attention was not what she needed right now. Going into hiding and staying someplace safe with high security, was what she needed.  
And as they lied back down to get some rest, Willow and Larsa slept a little closer.

 **Some reviews would be awesome right about now.**


	8. Cravings

Saying goodbye was never something that came easily to Willow. And as she stood mere inches from Fran and Balthier she already felt like they were far away.  
"Don't look so gloomy," Balthier told Willow.  
And Fran added: "This is for the better, trust us, little one."  
"I'm more worried about you two than myself," Willow admitted.  
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Balthier told her. "I'm the leading man here."  
The trio shook hands before departing. It was time to go their separate ways, but it would not be forever.

On their way back to the Imperial airship, Larsa, Willow, and Basch started heading east, getting further and further away from the beach. Archades was still a long ways away, but as soon as they reached the airship it would take no time at all before they would all be surrounded by palace guards and high walls.  
Far off into the distance, Willow spotted an Air Elemental, but that was the least of her worries. Not thirty minutes into their walk did they run into a group of Bagolies.  
Larsa and Basch were quick to take out their swords. "Behind me, Willow," Larsa said.  
"I'll be okay," Willow assured him and she cast a protection spell over the three of them. She had done it many times before for Balthier and Fran. Next, she cast shield and from there took out her dagger and held it firm, just in case she needed to use it.  
A Bagoly was a weak enemy, but never one to take lightly. With a large group of them, it was possible to become overwhelmed.  
"My Lord, keep them distracted," Basch said. A light blue mist swarmed his body.  
This was familiar to Willow; she had seen Balthier and Fran do it before. It was called: magic.  
"Right, of course!" Larsa snapped his fingers and the Bagolies seemed have been hit by some invisible force, making them unsure of what to do next. In other words: they were confused.  
The blue light illuminating Basch left his body and shot out from the palm of his hand, placing the enemy under an icy spell. Within seconds the ice spread, sealing and then cracking, and at last, bursting. Soon, there was nothing left but dust of all the Bagolies.  
"Are you alright?" Larsa looked over at Willow.  
Willow sheathed her dagger. "I'm fine, thank you."  
There was more she wanted to say though, and Larsa could tell she was holding back. "What's the matter?" He asked her.  
"Fran and Balthier taught me little about the offensive side of magic. What Judge Gabranth did just now, I wish to learn as well."  
Larsa smiled. "Very well. Then I guess we should hurry back."

The Imperial ship was hidden behind a cliff; an invisible shield kept it from being discovered. The area rested on the outskirts of the Phon Coast. As Basch pulled out a device from his pocket, a latch on the bottom opened up, granting the three of them access to the inside. An Imperial airship was far more spacious and high-tech than Balthier's Strahl. However, the sky pirate had a more piratical taste. Regardless of the two very different designs, Willow liked them both and felt safe and secure.  
Larsa took the right as Basch took the left of the two front seats and started the engines. Willow found a spot right behind Larsa and buckled herself in; she could barely hear the airship startup it was so soft and quiet.  
"Larsa," Willow started, "when did you learn to fly an airship? Is it hard?"  
"I started when I was thirteen. It was easy for me to get used to all the controls. Why? Has Balthier not taught you how to fly the Strahl yet?"  
"It's not that I haven't, it is just he doesn't always let me. I have little experience with that."  
Larsa sneaked a peek back at her. "Then that is something you can learn, too, if you wish."  
Willow smiled. "Yes, I would like that very much. Thank you again, Lord Larsa."

After a while, Basch put the airship on autopilot and sat back in his seat, relaxing.  
Larsa had a good idea Basch was giving the two an opportunity to talk more. Who knows when they would get the chance to have a private conversation again once back in the palace. Larsa knew he would be swarmed by city officials and other men and women of power. There was also the matter of marriage at hand, and Larsa would have to carefully explain things to the councilmen.  
Finally, Larsa said, "I believe he Judge Gabranth would like some rest." He unbuckled his seat-belt and stood up. "I'd like to show you something if you don't mind."  
"Oh, uh, okay." Willow unbuckled herself and followed after Larsa. He took her on a tour of the whole airship, showing her the engines, the small, yet very comfortable rooms to host its guests, and then lastly, to the back deck. The walls and ceiling were all made of glass so there was a perfect view of the land below, and completely safe as there was nowhere to fall.  
"Wow!" This is amazing!" Willow gasped at the sight. She'd never seen anything like it before.  
"It's a nice place to come and think when trapped on an airship with ten to twenty other people," Larsa said. "I'm glad you like it."  
While Willow was busy looking out the window with her face and hands pressed against the glass, Larsa admired her from behind. He was used to this view, but to Willow, she saw it as something wonderful and grand; a joy and perhaps even a privilege to be having this kind of experience.  
"Willow," Larsa said, taking a place beside her. "There is something I would like to ask you."  
Willow pulled her gaze away to give the young Emperor her full attention. "Yes?"  
"Why did you try to run away last night?"  
The question caught Willow off guard. That much was true. "Well, you see, I uh..."  
"You said that it was dangerous for anyone to be around you. Is that because you're actually a princess, and Valan is looking for you?"  
Willow nodded slowly. "Under the alias, I have now, and pretending to be someone else, if the people I come across have no idea who I really am, then they pose no threat to Valan, because in the end, they won't be able to tell him anything as to my whereabouts. But now that you, Gabranth, Balthier, and Fran know...Valan can use that against you. That's why I wanted to run away. If I was on my own again, then Valan wouldn't be able to hurt any of you to get to me."  
"Again," Larsa questioned.  
Willow looked up at Larsa sadly. "Before Fran and Balthier picked me up, I wasn't always alone. I had my sister, Mira, with me." She suddenly stopped, remembering something. "Ah...!"  
"What's wrong?" Larsa placed his hand on her arm comfortingly.  
"A few weeks back a lady recognized who I was. She's a refugee, like me. She said Mira was still alive. I shamefully didn't want to believe her. So, I told her she had me mistaken."  
"Willow, that's wonderful news!" Larsa said, trying to sound hopeful for her sake. "That means you still have a family!" He was happy for her; she didn't have to be alone after all. She still had blood to call her own, whereas Larsa had no family relations to anyone.  
Willow closed her eyes, remembering her dreadful past. She turned, setting her sights on a view better than the one playing on repeat inside her head. "If my sister is still alive, I fear it will only torment me further."  
"How do you mean?"  
Willow was blunt with her answer. "Valan will use that against me. To him, Mira is only bait to lure me in. Don't you see, Lord Larsa? Even if it's true, even if my sister is still alive, I know she would never want me to make myself known. If I find her, Valan will find me, too."  
Larsa stood mere inches from her now. He took one finger to make Willow look at him. "Willow, I believe your sister to be alive. We will get her back and we will save your country."  
"But how? How can that ever be possible?"  
"Princess...there are many ways, but for now, let's save that conversation for a later time." He looked out the window, making Willow curious as to what he was looking at and turned to see. "For now," Larsa said, "there are far better things to keep us occupied."  
In the sky were birds with multi-colored wings and long beaks. At that moment, Larsa slowly and gently took Willow's hand, and she did not resist.

When the walls of Archadia came into view and the airship slowly lowered, hovering above the landing position, Willow peered down at the soldiers standing below. There were at least twenty of them and it made the young Princess nervous. She wiped her sweaty palms clean and hoped for the best. Would these men learn who she was? Did they already know? Was this a trick? No, Larsa would never do that to her. He would never do that to anyone. And as the engines came to a halt, Basch was the first to exit the airship, then Larsa, and then Willow following right behind. One would think this was a welcome home party, but Willow sensed that it was not. A trail of men in white and green robes strode down the walkway and met the with the young Emperor halfway.  
"It seems you have been taking a liking to these short and very unexpected vacations, My Lord." Said one of the councilmen.  
Larsa was not intimidated at all by these men, and he responded to them with authority. "We shall discuss my whereabouts at a later time. For now, you are to treat my guest, Willow, as you would treat me, and if you don't you won't like what I have to say. Am I clear?"  
The councilman gulped. "Transparently,"  
Larsa brushed by his councilmen and walked on into the palace.  
Willow had never been in these parts of the Archadian palace. This was an entirely different wing! The floors were white and made out of marble; the ceiling was painted gold with statues of Gods and Goddesses. Everything was so neat and clean that Willow could almost see her reflection. And when she happened to cross a mirror in one of the many halls, she caught a glimpse of what she looked like and felt a little embarrassed. Her hair was frizzy, caused by the warm, salty air of the sea, and a smudge of dirt sat in the crease of her nose. Not to mention, her face felt oily and she was in need of a good, long bath with lots of soap.

Just as Willow thought they would walk on forever throughout the countless halls of the palace, Larsa had the two of them stop at a door and pulled a key from his pocket. When he opened the door he stood to the side to let Willow in first. Basch then held the door for Larsa, letting himself be the last to enter the room.  
There was a wooden table with flowers in a vase sitting in the middle and chairs surrounding it. The windows were long and wide and anyone who looked outside would be able to see for miles. There was also a fireplace and a sofa sitting nearby. A few bookshelves sat here and there alongside the walls and were all filled with books. But most of all, the room was dead silent, save for their footsteps.  
"Have a seat," Larsa said to Willow as he took one himself. Basch, however, remained standing. "Someone will be in to meet with us soon."  
Everything seemed to be happening quickly and Willow tried to figure out what was about to happen. Eventually, Willow took a seat at the table across from Larsa and waited.

During this time Larsa was deep in thought. Not only would he have to explain himself as to where he ventured off to, but why now all of a sudden did he bring back a young girl. People would want to know who she was and where she came from. And right at that precise moment, a group of men stormed into the room and none of them looked happy.  
"My Lord," started one of the men. "We hope your trip was well worth it." He looked to Willow for a second and then back to Larsa. "Who might this young maiden be?"  
Before answering anyone, Larsa looked to Willow for reassurance. When Willow nodded, Larsa stood straight and tall. "This young maiden is my friend Willow. She is good friends with the royal family of Zartoska, and we have reason to believe that one of the princesses, Mira, may still be alive and being held captive by Valan Linshk. Willow can help us free her."  
For a moment there, Willow almost thought Larsa would give her identity away, but he lied for her instead...and straight to these men's faces! But it was for the best...at least for now.  
"As for right now," Larsa said with more ease, "my guest and I require some refreshments. A bath and some food, I believe, are in order. See to it that Willow is well taken care of."

No time was wasted as three servant women came in and escorted Willow out of the room. She had wanted Larsa to come with her, afraid to be away from him or his Judge, Gabranth. But it needed to be done. There were still many things Larsa had to deal with before he could free himself from those men.  
One of the men, a member of the council, spoke up. "I was hoping to have this conversation in a more secluded room, but this will have to do. My Lord, have you given any thought to the marriage proposals?"  
Larsa knew this question was coming and he was prepared for it. "I have thought about it daily, and there is a solution to this: if we can rescue Mira, I will ask for her hand in marriage. If we join our two houses, the Empire will be stronger than ever." Of course, while Larsa was saying all of this, he was thinking of none other than Willow. He hated to use Mira as an excuse, but in time things would come to light and the truth would be out.  
The oldest of the council members furrowed his bushy brows, his eyes almost disappearing. "If we manage to save her, yes. And if she does not comply with your offer, what then?"  
"I promise you it will not come to that." Larsa tried to assure them.  
"You seem rather sure of yourself. Please, excuse me, My Lord. I am only thinking for the good of all Archadia." The old man said.  
Basch finally spoke up. He had had enough of this insolence. "Silence! How dare you question our Emperor."  
An argument broke out and Larsa raised his hand to silence the bickering. "We will soon have bigger problems on our hands than finding me an Empress. It is crucial that we send out men to spy on Valan, and even the refugees. I will send word to Lady Ashe and even the Rozarian Empire on this matter. Now, be gone."  
The men were speechless and they could do nothing but comply with their Emperor's wishes.

As Larsa had said, Willow was treated more than fairly. The women who were assigned to make her feel welcome were doing a marvelous job at it.  
The servant women took Willow up a flight of stairs and into a room where she would be staying. The bedroom had a high ceiling, the color of it was a soft peach and it was the same for the wallpaper. Only specks of blue and red flowers all carefully hand painted decorated what would otherwise remain bare, and the edges were lined in gold. The wooden floor was shiny and smooth, but a large rug made up of vibrant colors lay across the floor. As for the bed, it made Willow want to jump in it straight away. The lavish four-poster canopy bed with fanciful carvings and inlaid paintings also had luxurious, heavy fabric curtains held to the side to show off the prettily made bed. On one side of the room there was an area for a walk in closet and on the far side, Willow guessed it led to a personal bathroom. All that the young Princess needed was right here, or so she thought. She would have to thank Larsa. But how exactly? A simple 'thank you' would never suffice. Surely there was something she could do to really help him and to show her appreciation.  
"Everything you will need will be right here." One of the servants said. A neatly folded towel and clean clothes were laid off to the side for her.  
Willow looked over at the clothes but she dared not touch them for whatever dirt may still be lingering on her hands. "These will fit me?"  
"Judging by your size, these should do nicely. If they don't, we will make it right."  
Willow was beside herself with joy and gratefulness. It had been a few years since she had been treated like this. With that in mind, unwanted memories danced behind her eyes, filling her mind with doubt that anything could ever be 'normal' again. "I can take it from here, thank you."  
The servant women were a little shocked. "You don't want us to start your bath?"  
Willow shook her head with a smile. "You have done enough already. I'd like to be alone now. Thank you again."  
The servant women left, leaving Willow to her own devices.

Willow had no trouble starting her own bath. Actually, she preferred it this way. By doing it herself she was able to get the temperature just right. She slipped from her sullied clothes and submerged into the warm tub. Slowly sinking in, she took a deep breath and let herself stay under for as long as she could. When she came up for air that's when she lathered her body in soap, washed her hair and shaved any unwanted hair.  
Once done with her much deserved bath, Willow walked out into the bedroom where she dried her hair and body. Before putting on her clothes she saw herself in a full-length mirror. All the bumps and bruises were gone, but in return, the scares remained. The wound on her side was clearly visible. Even with Fran's healing abilities, Willow would always bare the mark of what could have ended her life. Besides that, there were more tiny scares scattered about her body where the rebels beat her and tried to kill her. In Willow's mind, who could ever desire a Princess with a battered body?  
With some effort, Willow pushed those thoughts aside and put on the dress that had been laid out for her. It was a creamy white color with long, lacy sleeves and a flowing bottom. The top hovered enough over her breasts as to not show any cleavage, and the bottom was long enough to keep her legs well covered. In other words: the dress fit nearly perfect. The sleeves were a bit long and the waist a tad big, but to anyone else, it wouldn't be noticeable. From there, Willow brushed out her hair and let it air dry the rest of the way. There was nothing for her to pin it down so she let it fall behind her back. At last, she was beginning to feel like her old self again and it was making her work up an appetite. It was then that she remembered Larsa saying something about refreshments and quickly left her room to try and find him.

The palace was huge, making it extremely easy to get lost in. But Willow did not mind. She was having fun running through its halls and up and down its stairs. Why it was reminding her of home during the happiest days of her life when her parents and sisters were still alive.  
"Willow," a voice rang out. "You must be her. I was told to come find you." A man dressed in full armor walked briskly toward Willow. "My name is Zargabaath. I am a Judge of the Archadian Empire. His Majesty requires your attention. Please, follow me."  
Willow said not a word to this Judge the whole time he led her to Larsa, and when they met their destination, Willow was blinded by the light of outside for a moment. A table sat near a small garden with water falling from the top of pillars, and on the table was food. It all looked well organized and put together, just like Willow remembered it being done in her homeland. She guessed every royal family was somewhat the same when it came to decorating, clothes, and even food. And there was Larsa, standing from his seat to greet Willow.  
"You made it just in time." He said.  
"So it would seem." Willow smiled and then took a seat.  
The Judge took a step forward. "Will you be needing anything else, My Lord?"  
Larsa shook his head. "No, thank you." And with that, Judge Zargabaath left the two alone.  
For a moment while they ate, it was quiet. Although the side glances they gave each other did not go unnoticed.  
"Is there something on your mind?" Larsa asked.  
Willow finished chewing before answering. "You could say that."  
Larsa set his fork down. "Remember what I said about you being able to tell me anything? That is still true."  
With a sigh, Willow pushed her plate forward. "I am so grateful to you. How will I ever be able to repay you? Besides that, how can I eat and wear this nice dress and sleep in such a beautiful bed when I know my sister is out there suffering? She must be so scared and hungry...and cold...and hurting. How can I just idly sit by and enjoy all these wonderful things without having a guilty conscious?" In her desperate attempt to get her feelings across, she hadn't noticed Larsa get up and walk over to her. He knelt down beside her and turned her head to face him.  
"Willow, listen to me and take what I say seriously: your sister would not want you to go hungry or be without a roof over your head just for the sake of her. She knows this and I know this, that you are very important. I'm not saying its wrong to be worried about her, but don't starve yourself because of it. We will rescue your sister. I gave you my word."  
Willow nodded once and then immediately turned to shove a few more grapes in her mouth. Larsa chuckled at this.

When the two of them had their fill of food, they took the gardens to admire the flowers and statues. Even though there was much to see and look at, Larsa's eyes were caught by gleaming emerald jewel hanging around Willow's neck.  
"What a lovely necklace you have," Larsa commented.  
Willow blushed and quickly shoved the necklace under her dress. "Oh, thank you."  
"Who gave it to you?"  
"It belonged to my father. My mother had a sapphire that was given to Mira."  
Larsa was curious and couldn't help but ask, "Why did they give you those necklaces?"  
Willow was unsure if she should tell him the truth behind the necklaces, but if there was any hope at all with saving Mira, she would have to tell Larsa everything. "In my country, there is no mist like there is here. Not a single trace of it. There is also no magic besides the necklaces. They were given to us by the Rozarian Empire as a truce between our Empires. The necklaces act as a key."  
"What does that key open?" Larsa was intrigued.  
"A vault to our whole fortune. It rests in our Winter Palace. Nothing can open it because it is sealed with magic. Thus the reason for the necklaces. But they cannot work alone, you have to have them together in order to open the vault."  
"I see," said Larsa. "All the more reason for Valan to come after you."  
Willow sighed and brought her attention to a single flower. "Even if I didn't have this necklace, Valan would still be after me. He will not stop until I am dead. The same goes for Mira. It would seem that it is Valan's life goal to wipe out my father's entire bloodline." Her brows furrowed some. "After centuries of rule, we are all but nearly exterminated by one man."  
"Don't say such things," Larsa told her. "You and I are the same."  
Willow looked up at him. "The same?"  
Larsa nodded. "Yes. I am but the last of the Solidor name. My blood family may be gone, but I have friends whom I care for all the same."  
Willow was shocked. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry, Lord Larsa."  
"Please, Willow, just call me Larsa." He smiled at her warmly.  
A blush danced across her face. "I...I could never, Lord Larsa." She was almost too shy to look at him now. "You must have it rough then, huh? People must be forcing you to marry as quickly as you can."  
This time Larsa sighed. "Yes,"  
"I was lucky," Willow said. "I was the youngest and didn't have to worry about being forced into a marriage or even worry about ever marrying at all. In fact, I had no plans to marry. Ever."  
"Do you still feel that way?" Larsa's heart skipped a beat. He was hoping Willow would be interested in the idea of being a wife someday, and perhaps even a mother.  
Willow thought for a moment. "I'm not sure what to think about marriage now. Will I even live long enough for something like that?" She had to wonder.  
"If you could," said Larsa, "marry someday and it could be with anyone you wanted, would you be interested then?"  
"Maybe," was all Willow said. It wasn't marriage that scared her, it was the fact that if she did then she would be expected to have children. The fear of her mother's fate of losing every son she ever birthed was etched into her heart.  
Larsa could tell that she was beginning to feel uncomfortable and quickly changed the subject. "I will have to send word to Vaan and Penelo that you are here. I am sure they would love to come see you."  
Willow's face lit up. "I would love that too!"  
"Then it's settled." Larsa grinned. "I'll write them a letter tonight."  
It was then that Willow suddenly remembered Penelo's condition. She was pregnant. Would she be able to make such a trip? Did Vaan know yet? Surely he did.

It was the simple things in life that lit up Willow's world: being with friends and being able to walk around freely was what she truly craved for. There was something else, too. Willow stole a glance at Larsa while he had his sights set on something else, making small talk while they continued their walk. The word 'crave' echoed in her head. Did she crave Larsa? Was it only now that she realized the young Emperor could be more than her friend? She gulped, her palms getting sweaty. Imagining herself with Larsa in romantic ways made her feel somewhat shameful and...lustful. And then, she gently grabbed her wrist, remembering the night Larsa held her down. Willow didn't know it until now to be true, but she secretly wanted him to do it again...somewhere more private, more comfortable...like a bed. The young Princess could feel herself getting warm in more places than just her face.  
"Is something the matter?" Larsa asked. His voice brought her back to her senses.  
"Oh, uh yes. I'm fine. I'm just getting a little warm standing in the sun." She chuckled nervously.  
"Then let's move over into the shade." Larsa offered, and he guided her across the garden and under a tree.  
"...Thank you, Lord Larsa." It was going to take more than just a little shade to cool her off though. Now that Willow had noticed her attraction to the young Emperor, it was almost impossible to see him any other way. Who knew that falling in love could happen so easily, and so quickly.

 **Please, please, please, please review! It's not like me to beg, but I really want to know what you think. Pleaaaassseeee!**


	9. Willow's Confession

**Still depressed over here, but FF12 is keeping me content. I've also decided to cosplay as Larsa. Woot.**

Over the next few weeks, Willow had seen little of Larsa or Basch. Sadly, Larsa was usually kept from having meals with her and was forced to eat alone while semi-dealing with politics. Today, however, was different. As Larsa had promised, Willow was able to practice her magic with him and Basch as their trainer.  
It was two against one: Willow and Larsa on one team, and Basch on his own.  
"Now, Willow!" Larsa called. A beam of light shot from a simple staff Willow was holding and fire swarmed Larsa's sword.  
"No good," said Basch. "That will never do." The Judge took his shield and blocked Larsa's attack. Basch was impressed with the young Lord's strength. He had certainly improved.  
Larsa was pushed back by the shield but quickly regained his ground. The three of them had been going at it for an hour and his shirt and hair were all but soaked in sweat.  
Willow, on the other hand, hadn't moved around as much, but her nerves caused her to sweat all the same. While Larsa dealt the heavy blows, it was Willow who granted him the extra power with the help of her magic. Her skills were improving bit by bit and it was noticeable. "Look out!" Willow cried. Basch had taken it upon himself to slowly plant a trap in different areas of the training ground.  
Larsa had mistakenly stepped into one of them, stopping him. "Damn,"  
"Better luck next time," Basch said, ready to finish the young Emperor with the final blow to end their training.  
"I don't think so!" Willow ran out in front of Larsa to protect him and sent a wave of wind at Basch. The Judge went flying and skid across the floor. "Not today!" Willow said proudly.  
Basch was taken aback by Willow's sudden act of bravery but that didn't stop him from hurtling that surprise back at her. With a snap of his fingers, the wind magic Willow used was reflected back on to her and she was sent flying back, hitting Larsa in the process. The two were now a tangled mess on the floor. Basch walked over and gazed down at them, a small smile resting on his face. "You two are getting better. However, your communication skills need some work. Better luck next time." He sheathed his sword and excited the training grounds.

Larsa would have been lying to himself if he didn't like Willow being on top of him. The fact of the matter was that he perhaps enjoyed it a little too much. Her tight pants and shirt that were equipped for fighting and moving around was a welcoming sight.  
"Ah!" Willow noticed their awkward position and quickly removed herself. She stood up, lending her hand to Larsa.  
"You did well today." He told her while sheathing his sword.  
Willow slipped a rogue hair behind her ear. "Thank you, Lord Larsa. So did you." She gave him a short bow.  
Larsa's tired expression softened as he heard her calling him 'Lord Larsa' again. He wasn't going to stop her and tell her to just call him by his name. In time, she would be comfortable enough. "You are getting better. The next time you see Fran and Balthier, perhaps you can have a duel with them."  
Willow gave a short laugh. "That would be an interesting duel, wouldn't it?"  
"I'd help, of course." Larsa offered, placing his hand on his chest.  
Bringing up Fran and Balthier reminded Willow of Vaan and Penelo, and she asked. "If you don't mind me asking, Lord Larsa, but have you had the chance to send word to Vaan and Penelo?"  
Larsa had been so busy that he nearly forgot to tell her. "Forgive me. I did send a letter to them saying you were here. They have not responded yet, however."  
Willow waved a dismissive hand. "No need to apologize. I'm waiting anxiously to hear back from them."  
"As am I." Larsa smiled.

Later that day as the two went their separate ways, Larsa was sitting alone in his room. He had just finished washing himself off. He sat hunched over at his writing desk where countless letters lay before him. All were marriage proposals. Time was ticking; a choice would have to be made.  
Suddenly, a knock came to his door.  
"Yes?" Larsa called out.  
"It's I, Your Majesty, Judge Gabranth. May I come in?"  
Larsa stood. "Yes, you may."  
As Basch entered the room he made sure to close the door securely behind him. "Are you alright? You seem distracted as of late."  
Distracted was right. In fact, that was an understatement. Larsa felt stressed, trapped almost. "My mind has been elsewhere, yes." He paused. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" He forced a smile.  
"Is it Willow?" Basch asked.  
"Part of it."  
Basch glanced at the papers on his desk. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but may I speak freely?"  
Larsa nodded once. "You may."  
"Why not talk to Willow about becoming your Empress? She seems to have taken a liking to you."  
Larsa sighed. "I wish it were that simple." He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. "What you say makes sense, but I do and Willow complies, the truth will be out. Soon, everyone will know. And do you know what will happen after?" He waited for Basch to say something but he did not, so he continued. "Valan Linshk will catch wind of it and raise an army against Ivalice."  
"Then let it be done if that is to be the case."  
"I do not wish for war!"  
Basch almost forgot his place and was close to saying something he shouldn't. "Sooner or later you will have to make a choice. Choose one of the noble women of Ivalice, or win Willow's heart and make her your Empress. You said it yourself: with Archadia joining with Zartoska, we would be a mighty Empire!"  
"...I cannot force my burdens on Willow. It's not fair to her."  
Basch gave in to defeat. His own heart was heavy for his young friend. "May I give you some advice, whether it be good or bad, it is up to you." Larsa nodded, giving Basch the okay. "If, for whatever reason, Willow does not become your Empress and you choose another, why not take Willow as your mistress instead?"  
Larsa was shocked. He did not expect to hear that come out of Basch's mouth. For the first time, Larsa wasn't sure what to say back. To love Willow beyond the vows of marriage; to secretly spend his nights in her bed while his would-be Empress lies in wait for him. If he did that though, it would be Willow who'd suffer the most. She would forever be known as the Emperor's mistress, or to others, they would call her a whore.  
Finally, Larsa answered Basch. "She is a human, not an animal. I will not keep her here for my own selfish reasons."  
Basch bowed his head. "As you see fit, Your Majesty." He opened the door and excused himself.  
Larsa knew the right thing to do, but did he have the courage to come out and face it?

That evening, As Willow readied herself for bed, she sat in a chair big enough for two people near the fireplace and brushed out her long hair. Her silky white nightgown was soft against her skin and was plenty warm enough. The curtains were closed for her own privacy, and busy life outside the palace walls had gone to sleep.  
As she set the brush off to the side she stared into the fire, thinking about her family. Larsa was right: they would not want her to feel bad for surviving; for feeling safe and comfortable.  
At that moment, Willow's thoughts were interrupted as a knock sounded on a wall somewhere inside her room. She looked about, trying to spot the location, and then a secret door hidden in the wall opened up.  
"May I come in?" It was Larsa.  
Willow stood fast, both suddenly nervous and excited. "Y-yes, you may."  
Larsa poked his head around the corner before entering the room completely. "I hope I did not startle you too much."  
"Not at all." She was only half lying. "You know, we have secret doors like that in both our Summer and Winter Palace."  
"Do you now?" Larsa closed the door. "I hope you do not mind that I chose to come to visit you tonight in this way. I would have knocked on your front door, but I didn't want anyone getting ideas."  
"Ideas," Willow asked.  
Larsa walked up to Willow and took a mental picture of her in her nightgown. He wasn't sure if she was aware that her nightgown was partially see-through. It was a struggle for him to keep his eyes on her face. "Willow, I came here tonight to talk to you about something very important. It involves our relationship."  
Willow was going to offer him a place to sit down, but she was too tense now and remained standing. "Our...relationship?"  
Larsa dived right into the point of it all. "You are a Princess, and I hold the title of an Emperor. If we joined our Empires we could do so many great things. Since I turned fourteen I have been bullied and almost tricked into marrying women of all ages. But now that I have found you, I feel like it was meant to be. What I am trying to say is: if you fancy me in the slightest, is there any chance that you could one day be my Empress, and rule over Archadia and Zartoska as well?"  
Willow was flattered. Her heart skipped a beat and for a second she smiled. But then that smile faded and she looked to her feet. "I cannot..." She said weakly.  
Larsa placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Why?"

The strength in Willow's legs gave out and she plopped down in her chair. "Because I am a princess no longer."  
Larsa knelt down in front of her. "What do you mean?"  
She didn't want to say. It was one of the reasons why she had suffered for much. "My father abdicated when I was sixteen. He gave up his throne, including his title. We were stripped of everything." The tears were working their way up and she feared she wouldn't be able to hold them back much longer. "So you see, Lord Larsa, I am no princess. I have been for the last few years now. I cannot marry you. I'm sorry." She started to quietly sob now. "He did it to keep his family safe. He thought that maybe if he was no longer in power that Valan would leave us alone, but it only fueled his anger toward us more." Horrible flashbacks made their way back. "They found us and held us captive. There was room, a dark, cold room. And smoke, so much smoke from the guns they fired at us. I can still hear my sisters screaming."  
"Stop, Willow!" Larsa called out to her. He made some room for himself and held her in his arms. "It's passed. That moment is gone. You're no longer there." He pressed her closer into his chest. "You're here with me now." He waited for Willow's crying to soften before speaking again. "Listen, I don't care if your father gave up his throne. You are still a princess, and I am sure the refugees would agree with me."  
Willow looked up at him, her stained with tears, a glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes. "You don't?"  
Larsa took care to dry Willow's face with his sleeve. "No one has to know." He told her. "And I must apologize. I didn't mean to make you cry."  
"It's not your fault." She yawned suddenly and Larsa scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to bed. "You don't have to do this." Willow blushed.  
"But I want to." He placed her carefully on the bed and then sat on the side. "You don't have to give me an answer tonight. Take a few days to think about my proposal."  
"I have thought about it."  
Larsa was pleasantly surprised. "You have? And?"  
"But before I give you my answer, can I ask you one question?"  
"Yes, of course, you can."  
Willow hesitated, but she managed to say it: "Do you want to marry me out of love, or for other reasons?"  
Larsa said not a word. Instead, he bent down and softly kissed Willow's lips and let them linger there for a long while. Finally, he broke it off, but he was still mere inches from her face. "Does that answer your question?"  
Willow's face a soft shade of pink. Her lips were tingling and her whole body felt like she had been wrapped in a warm, cozy blanket. "Larsa..."  
"I do love you, Willow. I have loved you. That's one of the reasons I sought you out. I need you here by my side. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I know that I do."  
Willow smiled. "Yes, I understand. And I will marry you, but," she said, "only when my sister is free from Valan. I want her with me when we join our hands."  
"Then it will be done," Larsa promised her, kissing her again. He wanted desperately to feel more of her touch and fought to restrain himself. At that very moment, he wanted nothing more than to have Willow. He forced his greedy hands back and sat up. If their little moment had gone on any longer, Larsa was certain he would have lost himself. He was getting to that point where his pants were beginning to be a bit too tight. "I'm afraid I must leave you now. I have an important matter to attend to in the early hours of the morning. May I come to see you again tomorrow night?"  
Willow nodded. "Yes."

Before leaving, Larsa gave Willow a kiss goodnight on her forehead. He left through the secret door wishing he could have stayed longer. A lot of hearts were about to be broken, as Larsa would soon be denying each and every one of those proposal letters. There was no longer any reason to think about taking Willow as his mistress because she would soon become his Empress, his wife, and his lover.

 **I am thinking about making another LarsaXoc story after this story. This one will be about a girl from our world who travels to the world of FF12 and becomes a Priestess. Not sure what time it will take place, but Larsa will be a teenager. The basis of the story will be an evil being/monster who has awakened, and this only happens when the girl travels to Ivalice. In doing so she awakens the ancient evil. She herself is granted Holy Power when she becomes Priestess and has the ability to walk through people's dreams (Just like Gran Kiltias Anastasis). The main place she will reside will be at Mt. Bur-Omisace. The only way to rid the Priestess of her Power is if she loses her virginity. She must remain innocent and pure. That is also why I have decided the Priestess will wear a veil to cover her face so no one but her right hand "Keepers" know what she looks like. I am also having it be that way so that if any man who meets her will not-or would not-be tempted to take advantage of her because they might think she's pretty...or something like that. I will be delving deep into the lore of FF12 for this one.  
** **A review is food for the writer's soul.**


	10. Burdened With Purpose

Larsa stared off aimlessly as he touched his lips. They were still tingling from kissing Willow.  
He sat outside on a balcony that overlooked all of Archades. The weather was fair today and he was enjoying the sunlight and fresh air as he waited for an old friend to arrive. That friend was none other than Al-Cid Margrace. Shortly after Willow arrived, Larsa had sent word to the noble Rozarrian and received a letter almost immediately afterward that he would be there as soon as he was permitted to. That day was today, however, the time of his arrival was still unknown.

The young Emperor tapped the table with his index finger, pondering in thought about what he would say to Al-Cid once he arrived. He had practiced conversations with the nobleman countless times in his head and now his opportunity had just walked through the door.  
"Ah, your excellency! How kind of you to invite me." Al-Cid waltzed right in and Larsa quickly stood to greet him.  
"Al-Cid Margrace, a pleasure." He held out his hand bracing himself for a head rub, but the Margrace did not treat the Emperor like a child and instead shook his hand.  
"A pleasure," Al-Cid said. "I was very surprised and somewhat disturbed by your letter. Will the young Duchess be joining us?"  
Larsa nodded once. "Yes, shortly, I promise you." He snapped his fingers and a servant standing nearby rushed out of the room, no doubt send word to Willow.

Once the two were alone, it was safer for them to speak on more private matters.  
"What part exactly were you disturbed by in my letter?" Larsa asked.  
Al-Cid ran his hand through his hair once before answering and leaned against the table. "Almost all of it. The part about Valan coming here...Elise trying to survive."  
Larsa put a finger to his lips. "She goes by the name Willow now. That's what she wants to be called."  
"Willow?" Al-Cid smiled at the name, remembering her pet dog. "Ah, I see. Of course. It is safer that way, I suppose. And I would have it no other way than to have Willow in your care."  
"Yes, I take pride in making sure she's safe. The two of us are somewhat alike. And the other part of my letter? What do you think of that?" Larsa eagerly wanted to know.  
Al-Cid sighed. "Aye, I have noticed it too. The land in which we live in is soon to crumble unless something can be done about it. And you think Willow's country can save Ivalice? You know if you proceed with that action you will have no other choice but to fight Valan, and that means going to war."  
Lasa rested his hands behind his back and looked off to the side. He hated the very thought of war. "I'd rather it not come to that. Perhaps there is another means of achieving our goal?"  
"It is not just Archadia and Rozarria who would have to fight. Dalmasca, Nabradia, and all corners of Ivalice will have to take part in this and it will be by your commands that it will be done. Are you ready for that kind of burden?"  
Larsa looked to his old friend. "I was burden with this the moment I was born. Did I ever really have a choice?"  
"Everyone has a choice." Al-Cid told him. "But enough of this talk. Where is the beauty I so desperately wait to see?"  
A small gasp came from the other side of the balcony, and there standing by the door was Willow. "Al-Cid Margrace..." Willow ran to the Rozarrian nobleman and allowed herself to be wrapped up in his arms. "Is it really you?"  
"Ah, my sweet. I assure you it is me. You look as lovely as ever." He bopped her nose with his finger.  
Willow turned to Larsa, happy tears resting at the corner of her eyes. "Thank you so much, Lord Larsa."  
Larsa gave her a small smile. He'd be lying to himself if he wasn't little bit jealous of the Rozarrian nobleman right now. In secret, Larsa wanted Willow to run into his arms too. He wanted to hold her. "No need to thank me. I am happy that you are happy, Willow." He bowed his head.  
Willow dabbed at her tears. "How is that you are here? How did you find the time?" She asked Al-Cid.  
Al-Cid patted her soft head. "For you, I would do anything."  
At this moment, Larsa quietly excused himself. Who knew how long it had been since these two were able to talk? He wanted them to have plenty of privacy; another reason Larsa invited him here.

Al-Cid and Willow started taking a stroll around the balcony, talking.  
"How long will you be staying?" Willow asked.  
"I leave tomorrow morning. That is all the time I have for right now. I am sorry I cannot stay longer."  
Willow wrapped her arms around one of his and leaned in. "I am grateful."  
"The last time I saw you, you were fifteen. That summer I spent with you and your family is moment I will forever cherish."  
"I'm sure Esfir cherished it the most." Willow told him.  
The mention of Esfir made Al-Cid's heart flutter somewhat. The oldest of the Princesses was the only woman to have captivated his heart. Had tragedy not struck the Zarkian Empire, perhaps Al-Cid could have made a wonderful husband and father. But now he would never know. Esfir was taken from him by Valan and Al-Cid burned with hatred towards the man. "Your sisters will not be forgotten, not by me. Especially not Esfir." Al-Cid reassured Willow.  
The two stopped their walk short and Willow whipped around to face him. "You are my oldest friend and ally. Will you help me put my family's name to rest? I understand that is a lot to ask."  
Al-Cid smiled. Nothing was too much to ask when it came to Zarkian Princess. "I will help in anyway I can." He then rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "We looked for the six of you after we heard about your father's abdication." He said in regards of the Rozarrian Empire. "I am sorry we failed you. We all thought you dead."  
Willow shook her head and grabbed Al-Cid's hand. "You did no such thing. You are here now. That is what matters." She smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, it was hard for anyone to find and safe us. I fear we were doomed from the very start."  
"Don't say that." Al-Cid told her.  
Willow shook her head again. "But its true. I think it was a mistake that my father gave up his crown. I know that his heart was in the right place when it came to his family, but that doesn't change the fact that..." Her words were cut short and Basch strode into the open area to meet with Larsa who was still on the far side of the balcony.

Al-Cid and Willow cut their conversation short and met up with Larsa and Basch.  
"Duty calls, I see." Al-Cid commented.  
Larsa sighed. "I am sorry to leave you like this. Allow me to make it up to you-to the both of you this evening. We'll play a game and listen to music." He smiled apologetically.  
"Don't forget the drinks." Al-Cid reminded him.  
"Oh, excuse me. Yes, the drinks. I shall not forget." He bowed his head to Willow and Al-Cid and then quickly left Basch.  
Al-Cid sighed, crossing his arms. "That Larsa is too nice. Those damn men sitting on the council seats have too much power."  
"Is it really that bad?" Willow asked. She knew that Larsa was constantly called away by the men of the state and that's what limited their time together. But now, after hearing what Al-Cid had to say on the matter, Willow feared it really was that bad.  
Al-Cid turned to her. "Let not my words worry you, Princess. Larsa is smart beyond his years. An old soul that one is."  
"I wish I knew how to make it easier for him." Willow said to herself out loud.  
Al-Cid chuckled and lifted Willow's chin so he could look into her eyes. "Ah, my sweet, you should know the answer to that already."  
Willow blushed and pushed Al-Cid's hand away. If she told him about Larsa kissing her, he would only tease her more. "W-what are you talking about?"  
"You really don't know?" He was surprised. "Eli...I mean, Willow, the answer to that should be obvious. It's you!" When Willow made no move to this Al-Cid shrugged. "Ah, well...sooner or later things will be as they should be." He took her hand. "Why not show me around since the Emperor is being held captive by politics."  
Willow nodded. "Gladly."

That evening Larsa did not disappoint. He was bent on playing games with his newly arrived guest and Willow. The pleasant music playing in the background was but a soft whisper compared to the laughs and giggles going around the table. The three of them were playing a game of cards and so far Larsa was winning.  
"I'll take this pile." The young Emperor pulled the pile of fake coins to his side and then sipped the last of his wine. He was only a _little_ bit drunk.  
"Not fair." Willow pouted somewhat. Her cheeks were pink from the wine, but she had only had half a glass, letting the others know how much of a light-weight she was. "That's the third time this row." She happy to see Larsa in this new light. She had never seen him laugh and smile so much. Perhaps this was the real Larsa...?  
"That's it!" Al-Cid said rather loudly. He had a few too many drinks, as was the Rozarrian way. "I'm all in. No one ever wins without taking risks. I'm going all out!" He put in all his cards and poured himself another glass.  
"You asked for it." Larsa grinned and placed his cards. He looked to Willow, waiting for her to make her move.  
Willow was never very good at card games, but if she learned anything from her big sisters: it was to pretend you didn't know what you were doing. "Okay, I'm all in." And she placed her bets.

The table was quiet for a moment as the three of them stared at the pile of cards in disbelief.  
"Did I win?" Willow asked. She looked over at Larsa.  
Not even Larsa could believe it. "I think you did."  
Al-Cid on the other hand was a bit too drunk and could barely keep his head up. "Congratulations, Willow..."  
"I say," started Larsa, "if we were playing with real money, I'd be broke." He laughed a little.  
Willow smiled. "I think if this was real money, I'd like to share it with everyone. Even this drunken fool over here."  
At that moment the music stopped and the musicians started to packing up. Was it that late already?  
Larsa called for a couple of servants to help take Al-Cid back to his room and to make sure he drank a glass of water before completely passing out. Now He was alone with Willow, which was what he was waiting for. No offense to Al-Cid Margrace.  
"If you're not too tired, or too drunk, would you care to dance?" Larsa asked.  
Willow was caught off guard as she tried to lay the cards in order. "Dancing? But there is no music?"  
Larsa held out his hand. "We don't need music."  
Not wanting to leave him hanging, Willow took Larsa's hand and stood up. She took a step back, dizzy from the wine and getting up too fast.  
"Careful!" Larsa held her hand tight and caught her back with his other free hand and pulled her in close. "A dizzy spell?"  
Willow chuckled tiredly. "A little."  
"We don't have to dance." He suggested.  
"No, no. I want to." Willow insisted and pulled out to the middle of the room. "What dance would you like to do?"  
Larsa thought for a moment. "I must apologize. I don't know any Zarkian dances."  
"And I don't know any Archadian dances." She thought for a moment. "Let's not follow any kind of dance and just do what we feel comfortable with."  
Larsa liked that idea. "I can do that."

With no music and the light from the candles dimming, it brought forth an alluring atmosphere. Larsa brought Willow in closer, closing the gap between them. While he led, swaying from side to side, he enjoyed the feeling of Willow's body pressed against his. He had never felt this way-never had the chance to feel this way with anyone. Larsa was good when it came to talking to people, but loving someone and showing them that love was completely foreign to him. Of course, he had his brother, Vayne, whom he loved still, but even then little affection was ever shown. But when it came to Willow who grew up with a loving family, learned to play and make jokes, she knew how to love and show that love, and through her Larsa was learning. He was a bit jealous of her for she got to have a childhood Larsa could only ever dream about.

Willow put her arms around Larsa's neck and rested her head on his chest. They weren't even really dancing now, just swaying from one side to the other while standing in place. And Larsa, he wrapped his arms around her back, taking in the scent of her hair as he rested his head on hers.  
To think that Valan could have taken her away from him-and it was something still possible-why, it scared the Emperor. Larsa played with the idea that he could keep Willow a secret forever. He would make sure she was safe and Valan would never know. But if he did that, then her country would pay the price for his selfishness.  
"Willow," he said. "I have some news to tell you."  
Willow pushed away some so she could look up at him. "What is it?"  
"During the meeting with the council men I was told that Valan is advancing closer to the border. I fear he intends to use violence to seek you out. Besides that terrifying fact, Ivalice has more problems."  
"I know," Willow said. "The land is dying." She then remembered the soil they had gathered. "Did the soil do any good?"  
Larsa smiled a little. "Yes, it's doing a fantastic job. But I fear with Valan being in control we will never be able to do anymore with that plan."  
"And if I make myself known, Valan will come after me." Willow sighed. "I know this all too well."  
"We would need to raise a great army to take Valan down. All of Ivalice would have to fight together. But you see, with the land dying and food becoming scarce, who will feed the soldiers...worse yet...who will pay them?" All of this he was telling her in confidence, but he knew he could trust her.

The two stopped moving altogether.  
"I have an idea, but it's dangerous." When Larsa said nothing Willow continued. "Both vaults from the Summer and Winter Palaces are filled with gold and other riches. With that we could afford to build the biggest army one has ever seen and still have plenty left over."  
"How does one have so much?" Larsa was very curious to know. Of course, the Empire was very rich, too, but Willow made it sound like his pile of riches was child's play.  
"You're saying we must break into your Palaces and take back what is rightfully yours?"  
Willow shrugged. "More or less. But we need both necklaces to open the doors. That means we have to save Mira."  
The subject of Mira had been floating in the air for far too long. It was time something was done about it.  
Larsa rested his forehead on top of hers. "I will make arrangements soon. Until then, I ask for your patience."  
"When you do, will you be there with me? I don't want to do it without you."  
Larsa smiled, happy that she wanted him. "Then I shall make it happen." He had sneaked out of the Palace enough times to know how to properly get away with it. He was certain Willow's request would be no trouble.

Willow yawned, singling that it was time for her to rest her weary head.  
"Allow me to walk you back to your room." Larsa offered and took her to the far side of the room, opening another secret passageway. He held her hand the entire way as he led her on a zig-zag path back to her room. The stone covered halls were lit with torches every couple of feet so one would not lose their way. And finally, Larsa came to what appeared to be a dead-end and pushed on the wall. With some effort the secret door opened up and they were now standing in Willow's room. Everything was dark save for the light of the moon that shined in through the windows. That was enough though to guide Willow to her bed. Larsa slipped off her shoes and set them on the floor at the foot of the bed.  
"Thank you for today." Willow said sleepily.  
Larsa whispered to her. "The pleasure was all mine."  
"You know, Al-Cid was teasing me about you."  
Larsa raised a brow. "Did he now? What did he say?"  
Willow thought back to her and Al-Cid's conversation earlier that day. "He said I could make things easier for you. As far as I'm concerned, I've made you work harder."  
Larsa couldn't believe what he was hearing. "No, Willow. You are no trouble to me." He could feel the tiredness starting to run him down. All that play and drinking was something he wasn't used to. "In fact, it's the opposite. You've given me hope."  
Willow could barely keep her eyes open as she smiled up at him. The moon cast shadows over him, making him look like a mysterious knight. So handsome, she thought. "And you know something else: Al-Cid could have been my brother-in-law. He was going to marry my eldest sister, Esfir...that never happened though..."  
Once again, Larsa was shocked. There were still many things for him to learn about when it came to her. To think that she could have been his enemy. Was Willow even aware of that fact? "When this is all over, Elise, I'll make sure you're the happiest Empress to have ever lived." But Willow was too tired to clearly hear him say her real name. "You deserve that much." And he bent down to kiss her forehead. "Goodnight."  
"Mira..." Willow mumbled in her sister name in her sleep.

There were many things Larsa wanted to do and share with Willow. He wanted more than to hold her hand or kiss her forehead; he wanted more than to play a game of cards or dance with her. No, he wanted to show her to all of Ivalice. He wanted to be next to her all throughout the night; kiss her whenever he wanted and in front of whoever he wanted. Larsa wanted to be able to call her his Empress! And if he wanted to move his relationship forward with Willow, then saving Mira was the next step. But before he could march into enemy territory, he would need some help from his sky-pirate friends to do so.


	11. Reciprocate

The Zarkian Princess looked up at the Rozzarian Nobleman with tears glimmering in her eyes. "Do you have to go so soon? Please stay one more day." She pleaded.  
Al-Cid Margrace patted the young Princess on the head. "I am sorry, little one, but duty calls. We shall see each other again soon, I promise."  
Larsa stepped forward and reached his hand out. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."  
Al-Cid smiled and shook the Emperor's hand. "Of course, anything for the Princess." He winked at Willow.

The handsome Rozarian Nobleman boarded his ship and flew off into blue skies. Willow watched until the aircraft was totally out of sight, and when it was, she let out a small sigh.  
Larsa stood beside her and grabbed her hand, curling his fingers around hers. "I've made arrangements for us to leave soon, and I've already sent word to Lady Ashe."  
"Will we be visiting her first?" asked Willow.  
Larsa nodded, turning about while still holding her hand, and walked back inside the palace. "Yes, and after, we'll be paying a visit to a few other friends as well."  
A light beamed in Willow's eyes. "You mean, Pen-"  
Larsa put a finger to her lips and smirked. "Yes, them."  
Willow felt a rush of excitement run through her. She missed her four sky-pirate friends. "Good," she said. "I've missed them."  
"I've missed them too." Larsa agreed, although, he wished he could speak more openly about them, such a topic was not wise to talk about inside the walls of the palace. There were eyes and ears everywhere. With that in mind, Larsa subtly let go of Willow's hand. However, the Zarkian Princess noticed this but understood.

Larsa stopped suddenly, turning to face Willow completely. "I'm sorry to leave you, but there is another council meeting I must attend to."  
"Understood. I won't keep you anymore." Willow waved him goodbye and watched as he disappeared around the corner.  
Whenever Larsa was away, Willow spent her time exploring the grounds of the Empire. Most places inside were off limits to her because she was still just a guest, but outside in the gardens, it was free range for her.

As she descended the stairs leading outside, Willow picked up her silky dress some so she wouldn't trip on her way down. The smell of flowers and freshly cut grass was a treat to her nose, and for a moment it reminded her of home at the Summer Palace. After a good rain and once the grass was cut, a smell of honey and lavender wafted through the air. When she opened her eyes, though, she was not at her Summer Palace, and her family was gone. Willow's family would not want her to be sad, and so she counted her blessings.

* * *

Earlier that same day, Valan Linshk stood at the Border of Zartoska and Ivalice. An army of men was at his side and a few other commanding officer's.  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked one of the officer's. "Doing this will surely send a message to the people of Ivalice, and they will not be happy about it. I thought you wanted to take control of things as peacefully as possible?"  
Valan grinned. He had no intention of doing such things. It was all brute force, or nothing at all. "That brat Princess is still alive, I know it, and that Archadian Emperor is hiding something."  
The commanding officer pleaded one last time. "Sir, I'm not sure our people are strong enough for a war right now. We just finished one. Must we fight another so soon?" The officer was not as innocent as he appeared to be though. He was beside Valan the day they killed Willow's family.  
Valan's tone changed to something rather cruel. "My dear, friend, you of all people should know that if even one member of the royal family is alive, the Zarkian people who rebelled against us, will rise up again. We don't want to be fighting two battles, do we? This is why we must find the brat and kill her." Valan looked to the rest of his men and gave them one order. "Break it down. Let no stone remain," and like that, the soldier's started tearing down the wall that separated the two lands.

* * *

Raindrops slowly fell from the sky, but Willow didn't mind. She had ventured into one of the mazes and ended up in the middle where a fountain sculptured out of marble sat. A Goddess that was unknown to Willow stood in the middle of the fountain, and watched as Water spouted from the palm of her hands.  
While she was busy gawking at the beautiful structure, she hadn't noticed the person walking up behind her. They put their hands over her eyes and didn't say anything.  
"Ah!" Willow pulled the person's hands away and spun around fast. "Lord Larsa!"  
Larsa chuckled. "Did I surprise you?"  
Willow blushed. "Startled is more like it." She paused. "How was the meeting?"  
Larsa's smile turned to a grimace. "Our spies have spotted Valan breaking down the wall at the border. I fear he is intent on getting his way. If I had it any other way, I'd say we should leave now, but Lady Ashe is not expecting us until tomorrow."  
Willow bowed her head. "Soon we'll be at war. I feel like this is because of me." She felt ashamed.  
Larsa lifted her chin with his finger and made her look at him. "This is not your fault. Valan would have wanted a war with Ivalice regardless. My hope is that Al-Cid will convince the Rozarian Empire to aid us. It would be foolish of them not to since they are a part of Ivalice as well."  
Willow smiled a little, trying to lighten the mood. "Al-Cid Margrace will not fail. I have faith in him. His words can be very persuasive."  
This made Larsa laugh. "Indeed." He then leaned in and kissed Willow on the cheek.

The now tender moment was leading into something else, and Larsa went in for another kiss, only this time someplace sweeter. Willow's lips were as soft as Larsa remembered from last he kissed her. He put his arms around her and pressed her closer to him. Being with her like this made it possible for Larsa to push out all negative thoughts from his mind. He was solely focusing on Willow and counting how many times he could kiss her before drawing breath. The young Emperor was deep in the moment, wanting more. The taste of Willow danced on the tip of his tongue as he teased with the idea of deepening the kiss. This was all new to him, and he was certain Willow had just as little experience as him, but no matter, that thought made him all the more passionate towards her.  
"Princess Elise," he whispered in her ear. "Is it too soon to tell you I love you?" He moved his lips down to her neck, ready to reward her with sweet love bites, but she pushed away a little.  
This definitely surprised her. "You...love me?"  
Larsa immediately released her, afraid he had most certainly overstepped his boundaries. "Forgive me. I was caught up in the moment."  
Willow shook her head. "No, it's okay. You've just surprised me is all."  
Larsa felt somewhat better hearing this. "I hope that you feel the same." He sounded unsure of himself as he said that. At this moment, Larsa did not feel like the Emperor of Archadia, but rather a normal teenage boy falling in love.

The only Larsa waited to hear Willow's answer, the more unbearable it became. Finally, she said, "I do have feelings for you." A wave of relief washed over him. "However, is it really a good idea to put our needs first before the people of Archadia—of Ivalice?" Willow smiled sadly up at him and rested her hand on his cheek. "I have very strong feelings for you, Larsa, I do, but I'm afraid of what might happen after I give in to those feelings."  
Larsa clasped his hand over hers. "Don't be afraid, Willow." He told her.  
Willow sighed, giving in, and she allowed herself to enjoy the moment. She pressed herself against Larsa, wrapping her arms around him and rested her head on his chest.  
Naturally, Larsa returned the gentle gesture, and put his around her, holding her close. Also, the fact that the rain was getting heavier by the minute mattered not to them. They were both too caught up in the moment.

While the two young loves stood in the rain, someone watched them from the distance. Basch lingered behind a corner for a moment. He had seen enough to know what had happened. Whether or not these two falling in love was a good idea, Basch knew that his young friend's happy ending was still far from reach. There was a war standing in their way, and many lives were in danger.

 **Sorry for the wait. Jury duty is never fun. I'm also in between jobs...so yuck.  
Also, I'm sorry this chapter was so short. This is me trying to get back into the swing of things. I do have another Larsa story going on. It's called: Priestess of Ivalice. Check it out! I'll be updating that one soon as well.  
Please leave a review! I really love that!**


	12. The Plan

To say that Dalmasca was beautiful was putting it lightly. Even for a small Kingdom, its grandeur still matched that of Archadia.  
It was nearly lunchtime when Larsa, Willow, and Basch reached Lady Ashe's home. They had been waiting in the guest's parlor for an hour.  
Willow gazed out one of the large windows and watched as young Knights trained inside of an arena. Next to them was a fenced-in cage with plenty of green grass and a pond full of clean water. Inside the fence were two rather large bird-looking creatures with yellow feathers.  
"Have you ever seen a chocobo before?" Larsa asked as he stood next to Willow. He inched closer to her, forgetting all about personal space.  
"Is that what they're called?" Willow chuckled. "Yes, I remember now. Al-Cid used to tell me stories about them. This is the first time I've ever seen one though."  
Larsa smiled. "Perhaps, if we have the time, we can ride one."  
Willow's eyes went wide. "Really?"  
But before Larsa could respond the door to the room slowly opened. He, Willow, and Basch, straightened themselves out to meet their queen.  
Lady Ashe looked stunning in her silky gown and silver crown atop her head as she welcomed her friends with a warm smile. When the door closed behand her, leaving the group in peace, Ashe finally felt more at ease and the muscles in her body relaxed.  
"My friends," she started. "So good to see you. Please, sit down." The four of them took a seat around a table. "I had hoped Vaan and Penelo would have arrived by now."  
"Balthier and Fran seem to be running late as well," Larsa added.  
Ashe grinned. "I'm not too concerned about them. It is the younger ones I worry about." A tired chuckle escaped her lips and then she looked to Willow. "So you must be her, the one I have been hearing about."  
Willow nodded. "It's lovely to finally be able to meet you. Your home is gorgeous."  
"Thank you." Ashe then let her eyes linger on Basch for a few seconds before looking away and turning her attention back to Larsa. "If I may be blunt, Lord Larsa, this plan of yours could get us all killed. traipsing into enemy territory," she quickly looked at Willow. "No offense to you. I am simply implying the other man whom Larsa has spoken about."  
"Valan," Larsa said. "And yes, I realize my plan is more than risky, but we have to try. Sitting here will get us nowhere."  
Ashe took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Yes," was all she said.  
At last, a bell rang and the door opened once again. A rush of people flooded into the room, and so did a wave of freshly cooked food.  
From the sound of a young couple bickering, Willow knew exactly who had finally shown up.  
"Vaan, stop pushing!" Cried Penelo.  
"We're gonna be late!"  
"We're already late."  
Vaan and Penelo walked into the room and greeted Larsa, Ashe, Willow, and Basch with friendly hugs before taking a seat. They had arrived just in time for lunch.  
"Have we missed anything important?" Vaan asked as he placed a chicken leg on his plate.  
Ashe waited for her servants to leave before answering him. "Just the part where we were talking about how dangerous Larsa's plan is."  
"But it is possible though, right?" Penelo sounded hopeful.  
Basch cut in. "We'd like to avoid as much conflict as possible. To do that, Willow must remain a secret, and our inside plan to remain absent from everyone else."  
The door swung open a third time. "That's hard to do, don't you think, when there are eyes and ears everywhere."  
"Balthier!" Vaan said excitedly.  
Willow was the most excited of all, though, as she sprang from her seat and rushed to give Baltheir and Fran a hug. The two were somewhat unwilling to return such affection to the young girl, but they respected Willow's fondness over them and let her hug them to her heart's content.

When the moment of familiarity had been met, Ashe guided them to a place where they could sit down. Together, the eight of them enjoyed a hearty lunch.  
Once everyone had eaten their fill, Ashe broke down in detail what they needed to do.  
"Our next step is to reach the Rozarrian Empire. If they will allow us, we will speak to Al-Cid. He is our guide into Zartoska." She looked to Willow more directly. "I would ask you to sit this one out, young Duchess, as anyone could recognize you, and then we would have a bigger issue on our hands."  
"But we can't leave her here alone," Penelo said.  
"That leads me to my next idea of what we should do." Ashe continued. "If Al-Cid is able, we will sneak into Willow's country. She will remain on the airship and will be able to guide us by air if need be, but Al-Cid is the second most familiar to the layout of the country."  
"How will we remain hidden?" Basch asked. "There is no mist, no magic. We cannot cloak the airship."  
The room fell silent. Ashe hadn't thought of that.  
Larsa cut in. "Willow, do you remember what the airships in your country look like?"  
Willow grimaced. "The airships you use are far too different. Even if you were to paint it with the same colors and symbols, the two aircraft's are too different. They would spot us right away."  
Balthier sighed. "Then we must go on foot."  
"Disguise ourselves as the enemy," Fran added.  
Ashe snapped her fingers. "That was my third idea."  
Larsa leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "Step one: meet with Al-Cid. Step two: sneak in Zartoska. Step three: an enemy disguise."  
"There is a fourth step missing." Said Willow. "My sister Mira."

The room fell quiet again, only the dreary silence held on to the moment longer than expected.  
Penelo was the brave one and spoke up. "Valan more than likely has her." She then slowly added. "I'm sorry, Willow."  
Vaan leaned forward and rested his hand on the young Duchesses shoulder. "We'll get her back. I promise."  
"You shouldn't promise things you have no control over." Balthier cut in.  
Vaan shot him a look. "I'm only trying to help."  
"And so am I, but you don't see me making promises that could ultimately end in failure, do you," Baltheir said defensively.  
Larsa cleared his throat loudly, ending Balthier and Vaan's argument. "As I have explained in my countless letters to everyone here at this table, Valan is residing at the Winter Palace. Perhaps that is where Mira is being held."  
"How will we rescue her?" asked Basch. "She is sure to be surrounded by countless guards."  
Willow spoke up suddenly. "I know of a few hidden passageways. None of them are easy to get to and far less adequate in terms of venturing through all the muck that's been down there for centuries."  
"Perfect," Ashe said. "Pray tell us how we may reach those hidden passageways."  
"Well," Willow started. "The easiest way rests in the far back of the Winter Palace under piles of rubble. There is a certain way to move everything to reach the hidden door. Unfortunately, there is a key to opening that door and breaking it down may alert guards."  
"And the second way?" Vaan asked.  
"The second way," she said as she looked over at Vaan. "is an old chimney chute. It's made to look broken down and unused, but it was specifically put there in case of an escape. It's not easy to get to as it's on top of the palace roof, but it is in a secluded area and hardly anyone goes there."  
"Is there any way?" asked Fran.  
Willow nodded. "There is a third and final way, but it's very dangerous."  
"Let's hear it!" Balthier was more than ready to do a bit of risky business.  
"The final passageway to reach the Winter Palace is underground."  
"That doesn't sound so bad," Vaan said.  
Willow raised a brow. "It's a man-made tunnel built underwater. I have no idea if it is even still intact. The entrance lies a few miles beyond the palace." She paused. "That's the way my family and I took when we made our escape a few years back."  
Larsa reached out and grabbed her hand. "We'll take whatever path you deem is right." He assured her.  
Willow smiled faintly at him. "Underground is the safest way." She sighed. "It's also the longest, most dangerous, and tedious way."  
"Then that's the way we'll take," Penelo said.  
Everyone nodded in agreement. And now it was time to set course to the Rozarrian Empire.

* * *

While the airship was being prepped for the long journey ahead of them, Willow made her way to where the chocobos were. She was still very curious to see one up close. At first, she thought she would be thrilled to finally be close to one, but the closer to walked to the fenced-in area where they were kept, the more she felt herself shrink. They were larger than she anticipated.  
"Don't be scared," Larsa said as he came up from behind her.  
Willow put a hand to her chest. "You do that too often."  
"Do what?"  
"Your footsteps are very quiet."  
Larsa chuckled. "I spooked you, did I? Forgive me, I'll try to be louder next time." He then stepped up to the fence and held out his hand to Willow. "Come, they won't hurt you."  
Willow inched closer to the fence where a chocobo stood and she slowly reached out to pet its beak. "So smooth." She then petted its feathered neck and smiled. "And so soft. What a beautiful creature."  
"These chocobos are bred for battle," Larsa told her.  
Willow immediately jerked her hand away, thinking the chocobo might suddenly snap at her.  
"Don't worry," Larsa told her. "They can sense that you are a good person, so there in no need for them to ever hurt you."  
"Really?"  
Larsa ran his fingers through her hair, starting from atop her head, and down to the ends at her back. He let his fingers linger there for a moment. "I promise."

Suddenly, a whistle caught Larsa and Willow's attention. Balthier was standing a few yards away. "Everything is ready. Shall we get going? Or perhaps you two would like some time alone?"  
The young love-birds blushed and hurried after Balthier. It was now or never.  
Over the sandy plains of Dalmasca and into the rocky lands of Rozarria, the small and discrete airship the group flew on slowly made its way to the second largest Empire in Ivalice.  
"Can this thing go any faster?" Vaan moaned. "We should have taken the Strahl. At least we'd cover ground faster."  
Ashe sighed. "We don't want to draw attention to ourselves."  
"Suck it up, Vaan." Penelo teased.  
Willow glanced over at her friend, wondering if Penelo had told Vaan about her being pregnant. Probably not, as he would have more than likely said something about it by now. She then looked over at Larsa who was having a quiet conversation with his Judge. Would she someday carry Larsa's baby in her belly? She blushed at the thought and turned away to gaze out the window.

As time went on, Willow could no longer keep sitting. Her bottom was going numb so she stood up and walked out to stretch her legs.  
The airship was indeed small, but it was big enough to separate herself from the group and slipped away to find a quiet place to think. She found Larsa standing all by himself in the back of the ship. A small window granted a pleasant view from the back. It was also an area not meant for more than two people at a time; the perfect place to be alone.  
"I hadn't noticed you sneaking off." Willow stood next to him.  
Larsa gave her a small smile. "I needed some time to think."  
Willow took a step back. "Oh. I can go if you want." She started to back away but Larsa reached out and held her hand.  
"No, don't go." He said. "It's okay. You can stay."  
"Are you sure?" she asked.  
"I'm very sure."  
Willow cocked her head. "Is it okay for you to be away from Archadia for this long?"  
"Willow, there is no need for you to worry about such things."  
She thought for a moment. "But if I am to one day be by your side, don't you think it's important that I should concern myself with these issues as well?"  
Larsa looked at her surprised, and then he smiled as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "You have no idea how happy that makes me hear you say that." He leaned in and kissed her cheek.  
Willow closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of Larsa's lips brush against her skin. She let him put his hands on her waist and pull her in and secretly hope he would do more. He rubbed his nose against hers and then pressed his lips on to the softness of her neck, and held on to her more securely.  
Willow felt safe in his arms. And for the first time, she felt as though everything could work out, for who could ever break a union so strong?  
"Elise..." Larsa whispered her real name in her ear.  
Willow grabbed on to him, clenching on to the sleeves of his shirt. She buried her face in his chest, afraid to let go.  
And then, within a matter of seconds, the airship came to an abrupt stop, making the two lose their balance and fall over.  
Larsa hit the floor first, cushioning Willow's fall as she landed on top of him. Both their bellies flipped as the airship suddenly descended. They came down from the clouds and landed as softly as they could.  
The two stared at each other in surprise, wondering what happened.  
Once they finally scrambled to their feet, they ran to the bridge where everyone else was.  
"I'm so sorry," Ashe began. "This is my fault."  
"Don't be so hard yourself," Penelo told her. "Maybe we can fix it?"  
Ashe knew little about fixing an airship, but her sky-pirate friends on the other hand...  
Balthier pointed at Penelo and Vaan. "You two come with us." He gestured toward himself and Fran.  
The four quickly left to see if they could fix whatever it was that caused the airship to stop.  
"Is everything alright?" Willow asked once they were gone.  
Basch nodded. "Those four will be able to find a solution to our problem soon enough."  
"Basch is right," Ashe said. "We can count on them."

While the four waited, thinking it would be some time before hearing back from any of them, they suddenly came rushing back with Penelo is Vaan's arms.  
They came together in one of the rooms and crowded around Penelo while she lay on a bed.  
"I really don't see what all the fuss is about." Penelo chuckled nervously.  
Fran crossed her arms. "I think it's time you tell everyone."  
Vaan looked at eh viera in question, and then to Penelo for answers.  
Penelo sighed, giving in. "Fran is right. I'm sorry to have kept this from all of you for as long as I have." She paused for a moment. "I'm pregnant."  
A small gasp escaped Ashe's mouth. "How far along are you?"  
"Two months, I think."  
"Two months!" Vaan grabbed his hair, obviously frantic. "Why did you wait so long?"  
Penelo decided it was best to be honest about her feelings. "With everything going on, I didn't want to distract anyone."  
Vaan leaned in and wrapped her in his arms. "Penelo..."  
"Congratulations, Penelo," Larsa said. "I'm very happy for you both."  
Penelo looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you, Larsa."  
"Yes, congratulations!" Ashe said. "This is wonderful news."  
"But what about our plans?" Penelo said.  
Vaan shook his head. "Stop worrying about that. You need to rest."  
"But I want to help."  
Willow let her thoughts be heard. "No, Penelo. Vaan is right. You should rest. Leave the rest up to us, okay."  
Penelo let herself be at ease. "All right."  
Basch could see in his young friend's eyes that she no longer cared to have such attention directed towards her and changed the subject. "Balthier, what news on the ship?"  
Balthier sighed. "Unfortunately, this ship was not built for such a long journey. Her engines are sensitive, thus causing our sudden descent. The good news is, she is fixable." Everyone took a breath of relief. "However, that will take some time."  
"How much time?" asked Ashe.  
Balthier grimaced. "It's hard to say. Fran and I should be able to fix her up in a few days with the right tools. There is a small town a few miles from here where we can get such tools." He looked at Vaan. "Vaan, I need you and Penelo to stay here while Fran and I head there."  
"And what about us?" asked Willow.  
Fran answered her quickly. "You, Larsa, Basch, and Ashe will continue to meet Al-Cid on foot. If it takes longer than expected to fix the ship, we will need someone who can make it to the Rozarrian Empire in a reasonable time."  
Ashe spoke out loud. "From foot, the Empire is three days from here."  
Fran nodded. "Which is precisely why the four of you must go and leave this fixing to us. As we have all learned, time is not our side. Ivalice needs saving, and waiting around in hopes of fixing the ship in time is not in our best interest."  
"Penelo and I will stay here and keep watch over the airship," Vaan assured his friends.  
"Are you sure about this?" Willow asked. She didn't like the idea of splitting up.  
Balthier walked over to her and unhooked a small radio from his belt. "Take this. Contact us if anything happens. It will also help us find you if we get the ship fixed quickly." He placed the radio on her hands. "If you want to save your sister, Willow, you must learn to be bold."  
Willow nodded. "I will do my best!"

* * *

As Willow, Larsa, Basch, and Ashe exited the airship, they were met with a fresh, crisp breeze. The day was still early, allowing plenty of time to cover a good distance before nightfall.  
"Have you been to Rozarria before?" Ashe asked Willow.  
"Once," Willow softly chided. "I was very small, though, so I don't remember anything."  
Ashe smiled. "No matter. I'm sure some memories will come back to you."  
"You think so?"  
The young queen nodded. "I know so."  
Suddenly, Basch called out to them. "Careful. The terrain is becoming very rugged. Watch where you step."  
Lasa held out his hand for Willow to grab on and steady herself in case she was to trip and fall, but the young Duchess had proven herself capable to just about anything when taking care of herself. Over the last few weeks, Willow had become stronger in mind and body.  
"I'll be fine, thank you." Willow smiled sweetly at Larsa to assure him that she didn't need to hold his hand.  
Somewhat let down by not being able to hold on to her, Larsa nodded and smiled back nonetheless. He was glad to see Willow improving.

Ashe and Basch hung back a few paces and watched the two young ones walk ahead, telling jokes and riddles. They had been walking for the last two hours.  
"Larsa fancies Willow, does he not?" She said this quietly to Basch.  
Basch was silent.  
"It's alright. You don't have to say anything. I already see it. My question was merely pointing out a fact without being too direct."  
"I understand." Said Basch. "I worry about him."  
Ashe laughed softly under her breath. "You're his protector. Worrying over him is your job."  
A very faint grin came across the corner of Basch's lips before saying, "And what about you, my lady. Do you have someone to watch over you?"  
This caught Ashe off guard and it caused her to stop walking for a second. She knew what he meant by that. "I am fine, thank you." And she hurried to catch up to him."  
"Look!" Willow suddenly shouted. "A village!" She grabbed Larsa's hand and took off running.  
"Hold a moment!" Ashe quickly followed after with Basch right behind her.

The village was surrounded by rocky hills. There were no fences to keep out fiends, but there was no need; blue crystals sat atop podiums to ward off all predators.  
Children ran around playing games; one of them almost knocking Larsa over from trying to escape the hands of their friend who was "it". The little girl stared up at him with wide eyes for a second before going back to playing.  
"Careful," Larsa called out to her.  
"I think she thought you were handsome," Willow whispered.  
Larsa chuckled. "Ah, really?"  
Willow grinned. "I know that face. Esfir made the same expression when she first met Al-Cid."  
"Is that a fact?" Larsa touched the brown pouch resting at his side. The picture of Willow and her sisters was in there. He had almost forgotten, and he had planned to show her soon.  
Ashe and Basch finally caught up to them.  
"Let's have something to eat, shall we?" Ashe started leading the group. She took everyone in the direction of a small inn where the smell of freshly cooked meat with peppery seasoning wafted through the air. The four of them sat down and ordered their food, enjoying the foreign atmosphere in the building. They spoke little as they did not want to attract attention to themselves. It was bad enough they already looked so different from everyone else.  
"Will you be staying the night?" The waitress asked. "If so, I can have my boss reserve a bedroom, or two, for you all."  
Everyone glanced at one another. Finally, Larsa spoke up. "Two rooms, if you don't mind."  
The waitress nodded and walked off.

When they had finished eating, Ashe went up to her and Willow's shared room to clean up for the evening. Basch, however, remained to keep a watchful eye on Larsa as he walked with Willow around the village, working off all the food they had eaten.  
Larsa glanced back at Basch, giving him a look that said, "Give me some privacy." And Basch reluctantly gave it to him.  
Willow was far too busy looking at everything to even notice that Basch had been watching them in the first place.  
"Willow," Larsa started. "There is something I must show you."  
Willow spun around on her heels. "Hmm?"  
He slowly took the picture out from his pouch and handed it to Willow.  
She gasped, snatching the picture from Larsa's hand. "How did you get this?"  
"Valan gave it to me when he came to see me about you. I asked to keep it in case I was to see anyone resembling you. I had meant to give it to you much sooner, but..."  
"I understand, Larsa. The point is, you are giving it to me now." She held it close to her chest.  
At first, Larsa thought she might start crying again, but the glimmer in her eyes were not tears: it was hope and determination.  
"We'll get her back," Willow said softly. "We're going to save Mira. I know we will!"  
Larsa let out a small breath of relief. "I wasn't sure how you would react, but I'm glad this has had a positive impact on you."  
"Thank you," Willow said. She gave the picture one last look and then held it for Larsa to take it back.  
"You don't want it?"  
"I trust you to do a better job of holding on to it than myself." She admitted.  
"Alright," Larsa carefully slipped the picture back into his pouch.  
For once, Willow felt hopeful and optimistic about their journey, but Winter was not far off. It may have seemed like summer was still here, but that was only because Rozarria was warm all year round; same with Dalmasca. However, in Zartoska, the winters were, as Willow had said, harsh. If they could not save Mira before the first snowfall, then it would increase their risk of failing. And to fail would mean to die.

 **What name do you prefer more? Willow or Elise?  
Also, please let me know what you think of the story thus far. **


End file.
